Became the Patron of Villains Novel MTL - Chapter 165

Chapter 165
Following a short debate over what offering to give the Great Moon, the assembly continued as planned.

Naturally, the proceedings were occasionally interrupted by Deus suddenly mentioning the Great Moon or Seolrang shouting, “I’ll be the present!”

Even so, the meeting, which moved forward a little more steadily than was typical, was nearing its end as the sky began to lighten.

Just as everyone was getting ready to offer their final comments,

[Seolrang]

[Yes?]

Deus unexpectedly addressed Seolrang.

[What’s the matter with your ears?]

Seolrang had been holding her hands over her ears.

And she had been doing this repeatedly.

During the entire meeting, she would seize any opportunity to press her ears shut. Deus had been watching this strange behavior with growing confusion.

As all eyes fell upon her, Seolrang exclaimed, “Ah!” and her face lit up with a radiant grin.

[The Great Moon did this for me!]

[… The Great Moon did that for you?]

[Yes! Just like this, and like this!]

Without waiting for a question, Seolrang eagerly began narrating the events of the recent colony in detail.

[And that’s what happened!]

When she finished her tale, the others each responded in their characteristic manners.

[… To imagine the Great Moon wearing such a genuinely worried expression…]
[That is incredible.]

Deus and Radan looked jealous, likely because they were accustomed to Alon’s typically impassive face.

The mere fact that the Great Moon had displayed even a momentary emotion toward Seolrang carried immense weight for them.

[…]

Even Rine, who had stayed in the colony for a number of days, looked at Seolrang with a faint mix of envy and pouting.

However,

[Of course, Seolrang. The Great Moon cares for ‘all of us.’ It is only natural to be worried when one of us, such as yourself, is in peril, correct?]

Only Yutia maintained her typical composed smile. A tranquil expression completely free from emotional disturbance.

Seolrang stared at Yutia for a long moment, then abruptly puffed out her shoulders proudly, as if she had just understood something.

[But I have seen the Great Moon smile!]

[… The Great Moon smiled?]

[Yes!]

When Deus asked uncertainly, Seolrang nodded her head with great energy.
At this, even Yutia’s lips quivered almost imperceptibly.

[… That was surely because the Great Moon was concerned for your safety.]

Still, Yutia did not let her smile fade.

[No! The Great Moon simply smiled while we were talking!]

Thud—

A palpable change in the air.

Yutia’s mouth shut firmly.

Seolrang, now feeling even more victorious, gave her shoulders another smug shake.

[You’ve never seen the Great Moon smile, have you, Yutia?]

Announcing her win, Seolrang formed a V with her fingers.

Hidan, who had been quietly watching the exchange, found his expression turning strange.

While it was accurate that the Moons often behaved like youngsters whenever the Great Moon was the topic, even so, Seolrang’s provocation was… decidedly childish.

‘…Surely the Red Moon wouldn’t be shaken by something this petty—’
Hidan turned to look at Yutia with assurance, but his jaw soon went slack.

The steady smile Yutia had held until just a moment ago
was now clearly distorted for all to see.

Put simply, it was impossible to deny that Seolrang’s remark had struck a nerve.

Hidan carefully looked away.

[Right!? So I was the first to see the Great Moon’s smile, yes?]

Seolrang, seemingly drunk on her “triumph,” kept talking cheerfully, totally unaware of the changed atmosphere.

But this only lasted a short time.

[Hmm! When the Great Moon pressed my ears like this…]

After a few minutes of proud rambling, even Seolrang started to falter and look around uneasily.

[…]

Because Yutia was not smiling in the slightest now.

The instant Seolrang understood she had gotten far too carried away with her feeling of success,

[Hmm, I have some pressing business to deal with, so I will take my leave now. The meeting appears to be concluded, so I will excuse myself first.]

Radan, who was skilled at sensing the mood, invented an implausible late-night task and vanished from the view.

[…I have the same. A knightly assembly is next on my schedule…]

Similarly, Deus made a swift exit from the meeting.

As Hidan wondered if an excuse involving a meeting before sunrise was the best one possible,

[… I will go as well. I have duties to attend to.]
[… Huh?]

Rine, who had been glowering at Seolrang with mild annoyance, also departed.

Only then did Seolrang sense that things were amiss.

And then,

[Eek…]

Noticing the scornful curl beginning to form on Yutia’s lips, Seolrang unconsciously let go of her ears.

Her freed ears immediately flattened back against her head.

Seolrang, now anxiously scanning the room, slowly began to back away.

[I-I should be leaving now too!]

She ran off.

And then, the final two people left in the meeting were Hidan and… a profoundly irritated Yutia.

When Hidan warily lifted his head, he understood he had waited too long to make his escape.

‘What do I do now?’
Hidan started to feel a sense of dread.

Certainly, the other Moons had fled because they knew. They were all aware of how frightening the Red Moon became when even a little annoyed.

Of course, she would not cruelly injure her comrades, but her anger alone was enough to cause fear.

Anxious that her misplaced fury might be directed at him, Hidan nervously shuffled out of the screen and froze, holding his breath.

A moment later,

[Hah…]

What he heard was not a voice of rage, but a soft sigh from Yutia.

Hidan, now safely off-camera, dared a cautious look at the still-active screen.

On it was Yutia, her cheeks slightly swollen.

‘Puffed-out cheeks…?’
Her somewhat sulky look, accompanied by a light blush,
seemed very unlike her.

[I’m the one who thinks about him the most…]

She muttered quietly, almost whining, before she cut the communication.

“…???”

Hidan was left utterly bewildered by this new, unexpected facet of the Red Moon he had just observed.

Then, it dawned on him.
She had assumed all communication had ended because he had moved off-screen, and had thus lowered her guard.

While it did not match the Red Moon’s usual persona, it paradoxically made her seem, for the first time, like a distinct, singular person.

As if he had seen a fleeting vision, Hidan gazed into empty space for a while.

‘I must forget this.’
Rapidly evaluating the circumstances, he felt a chill of fear.

If, by some misfortune, the Red Moon were to learn of this…
That would mean his doom.

Therefore,

‘I need to wipe this from my memory entirely.’
He made a steadfast resolution.

***

Approximately two months had passed since Alon’s encounter with the Greenwood Trading company.

With the ball drawing nearer, Alon started to witness events falling into place according to the plotlines he recognized from the original story.

“… This means it is practically finished.”
“That is correct.”

Standing opposite Penia, Alon dismissed the newly refined magic they had just perfected.
“Thank you. Without your assistance, it would have taken considerably more time.”
“Oh, please, don’t mention it.”

Despite her modest reply, Penia’s shoulders lifted a little.
Her posture seemed to proclaim, “Did you see that? That’s my skill for you!”

Alon, concealing a slight smile behind a blank face, inquired,
“When is the next conference scheduled?”
“Ah, well… I believe it is in roughly three months?”
“Then we shall attend that conference together. You honored your promise, so I will honor mine.”
“I am so grateful!”

Penia, as if she had been given a rare jewel, bowed deeply in thanks.

After briefly studying his hands, Alon sat down.
“Incidentally, is there any benefit to pursuing further combinations at this stage?”
“Hmm~ Judging from our research up to now, it seems developing a superior formula would demand a little more testing…”

Penia’s face became visibly strained, as if she was worried Alon might indeed wish to continue.

Seeing her concern, Alon gave a slight shake of his head.
“Well, don’t be anxious. I am not so inconsiderate as to claim everything for myself,” Alon stated.
“Ah, yes…?”

‘Doesn’t he already have plenty of consideration to lack?’ Penia kept this reflection internal, choosing not to voice it.
“Even so, your magic is rather unique, Marquis,” she said.
“How so?”
“…Its strength. The basic framework and molecular composition of the magic are identical, yet its power continues to grow.”
“…You can perceive that clearly?”

Penia paused before answering.
“Hmm, the daily change is insignificant, but if you compare it to two months ago, the difference is distinct.”
“I understand.”

Alon nodded without thinking.
Of course, Alon had not been secretly practicing at night or experimenting with new configurations. His severely limited mana reserves prevented such activities.

The likely explanation for his power appearing to grow was its relation to his divinity.
…Though he had no clue from what source this growth was originating.

As Alon pondered this, Penia spoke again.
“Um…”
“Yes? What is it?”
“If it is not too much trouble, could you provide a clue about the cause of this phenomenon?”

Her eyes shifted nervously, but her inquisitiveness appeared to overpower her apprehension.

Alon, knowing he could not reveal the link to divinity, thought for a moment.
After some consideration, he answered, “…I will tell you next time.”
“Truly? Thank you so much!”

Having deferred her question, Alon exited the office—which now functioned essentially as Penia’s laboratory.

‘Well, now that my mana is restored, it is time to proceed.’
Alon retrieved the artifact, ‘Footsteps of the Past,’ from his inside pocket to examine its status.

Once a deep black color, it had now shifted to blue, signifying it was finally charged and usable.
‘…It required significant effort to saturate it with mana. Not that I plan to use it immediately.’

Even while performing magical experiments, Alon had meticulously channeled mana into the artifact, rendering it operational.

Remembering the exertion involved, he mentally went over his plans.
‘…First, go to the ball, then travel to Lartania to utilize ‘Footsteps of the Past’ to encounter Kylrus, and after that, acquire the artifact from the ruins.’

Without planning any significant rest, Alon departed the Marquis’s estate according to his schedule.

***

A few weeks later, as Alon and his party reached Terea, the location of the ball, within the Holy Kingdom of Rosario,

“Greetings, Cardinal Yutia.”
“Yes, it has been a while, Chosen.”

Cardinal Yutia and Chosen Eliban exchanged salutations.
A concealed, deep smile rested on both their faces.