Raising Villains the Right Way Novel - Chapter 168

Chapter 168

First, one undeniable truth.

Alon possessed very limited knowledge concerning “Kalannon, the Bearer of Lightning.”

His understanding extended only to the fact that Kalannon was a second divinity revered by the Thunder Serpent Tribe and served as the official religion of the Luxible Kingdom.

“We greet Kalannon, the Bearer of Lightning.”

“We greet Kalannon, the Bearer of Lightning.”

Because of this, Alon found himself unable to grasp the meaning behind the words spoken by Syrkal and Jenira right in front of him.

In truth, he was so taken aback that he nearly exclaimed, “Kalannon, the Bearer of Lightning? That’s me?”

“…What…?”

Alon started to open his mouth to refute the idea, but he caught himself.

It occurred to him that this turn of events might not be disadvantageous.

More precisely, he saw a potential benefit in allowing their misapprehension to stand.

Observing the two girls with their heads bowed, Alon thought back on a previous memory.

—By the way, Marquis, your mana is somewhat peculiar.
—In what sense?
—…It’s the intensity. While the fundamental methods and molecular composition of the mana are identical, its potency has been growing at a remarkable rate.
—You can perceive this clearly?
—Well, the daily change is minimal, but if you compare the present to two months ago, the difference is unmistakable.
—I understand.

This was a discussion he had shared with Penia.

She had observed that Alon’s mana was intensifying despite its foundational consistency, and she had theorized it was due to an accumulation of divinity.

Put simply, the two girls from the Thunder Serpent Tribe might have identified him as Kalannon, the Bearer of Lightning, which could be the cause of his amplified mana.

Naturally, from Alon’s viewpoint, he was completely unaware of when, how, or by what means he had come to be mistaken for Kalannon.

If Alon’s theory held any weight, and his mana was indeed strengthening because of the Thunder Serpent Tribe’s belief, then there was no reason to correct their error.

‘Of course, this is merely speculation.’

Inevitably, matters involving the divine were reliant on hypothesis.

Even though Alon had experience with ‘Psygedelia’, its content did not delve deeply into divine mechanics.

After a moment of reflection, Alon arrived at a decision.

‘I will not mention that name here.’

He resolved not to challenge their misconception.

He was admittedly curious about the reasons they regarded him as Kalannon, the Bearer of Lightning, but he saw no advantage in creating unnecessary complications.

“My apologies.”
“We were simply overcome with emotion at the prospect of meeting a figure of such greatness once more.”

Hearing this, Alon responded with an air of detachment.
“So, what is the purpose of your visit?”
“There is no specific agenda. It would be improper not to pay our respects when a being of such magnitude is near.”

Syrkal’s demeanor, now far more respectful than her earlier hostility, was a stark contrast.

‘So, they only came to offer greetings.’

Alon’s mind buzzed with various thoughts and questions.

Above all, he was intensely curious about the nature of the Thunder Serpent Tribe’s perception of him.

‘Do they view me as a deity reborn? Or perhaps as the divine entity itself?’

However, to unravel this mystery without shattering their belief, he would need to employ careful and deliberate language.

“I will pay a visit at a later time.”

For the moment, he set his curiosity aside, deciding he would carefully form his inquiries and visit the Luxible Duchy on another occasion.

“We will joyfully await your arrival.”
“…Very well.”

Suddenly, he remembered the statue of Kalannon, the Bearer of Lightning, that Siyan had pointed out to him that morning.

The very one Siyan had claimed looked remarkably like him.

‘…Could that truly have been a likeness of me?’

Behind his expressionless face, Alon wore a look of profound disbelief as he made his way back to his rooms.

After Syrkal and Jenira departed, a figure emerged from the empty corridor.

It was Carmaxes III, who had been concealed behind a pillar, listening to the entire exchange between Marquis Palatio and the envoys from the Luxible Kingdom.

“Marquis Palatio… is Kalannon, the Bearer of Lightning?”

His face a mask of complete confusion, he replayed the scene from moments before.

The Luxible Duchy’s emissaries had bowed and offered salutations to Kalannon, the Bearer of Lightning.

And Marquis Palatio had accepted their reverence as if it were his rightful due.

From this alone, it appeared conclusive that Marquis Palatio was indeed Kalannon, the Bearer of Lightning, the very deity who formed the state religion of the Luxible Duchy.

Yet, accepting this as reality was difficult.

It defied logical understanding.

How could a living, breathing man—neither a monarch nor a peerless noble, but merely human—be considered a god?

It was incomprehensible.

Despite this, Carmaxes III did not dismiss the incident as merely ‘peculiar’ and continued to ponder it.

Two specific points troubled him.

The first was ancient texts he had studied, which referenced other races who worshipped “Sage-Gods.”

The second was Seolrang.

…If Marquis Palatio were truly a deity, it would provide a plausible explanation for Seolrang’s fervent devotion to him.

Until now, Carmaxes III had been unable to discern why Seolrang was so steadfastly loyal to Marquis Palatio.

Beneath Seolrang’s typically indolent and carefree exterior lay a razor-sharp survival instinct, something Carmaxes III knew well.

Her entire worldview was predicated on the survival of the fittest.

By her own standards, Marquis Palatio should have been considered far beneath her.

The marquis was undoubtedly skilled, but he was no match for Seolrang.

Yet, reality told a different story.

He consistently seemed to defy her criteria, occupying a position far above her.

Although rumors suggested she owed him a significant past debt, her conduct toward him could not be explained by gratitude alone.

But if Marquis Palatio were a god?

That would offer some clarification.

It would explain why an individual with Seolrang’s merciless perspective would follow, admire, and venerate Marquis Palatio with such devotion.

Standing alone in the quiet, deserted hallway, Carmaxes III stared for a long moment at the spot where Marquis Palatio had stood.

‘…It appears I must conduct a proper investigation into these Sage-Gods.’

He turned away, adding this new task to his intentions.

***

Throughout the next week, Alon participated in the grand ball, which continued for some time.

However, he soon began his preparations for departure.

Although the ball still had approximately two days remaining, he felt no inclination to stay until its conclusion.

…To be honest, Alon found the event more draining than enjoyable.

“Are we traveling to Lartania?”
“Yes.”
“I will make the arrangements immediately.”

Evan, who had been leisurely enjoying a dessert at their lodgings, rose and exited.

Alon calmly sifted through the fragments of information he had collected during the ball.

Most of it was trivial.

…The only piece of useful intelligence was that the nation had recently been unsettled due to the Strange Gate incident.

He had also learned from a Caliban noble that Deus Maccalian had been exceptionally busy in Caliban of late.

…Apparently, he is constructing something.

While the specifics eluded him, his interest was piqued momentarily.

But his thoughts soon drifted back to the strange occurrence from the previous day.

…“I greet the King of Colony.”
“It has been some time, Marquis Palatio.”
‘…What? Yes, but why are you addressing me with such formality…?’
“Oh, ahem, pay it no mind.”
…?

The sudden shift in Carmaxes III’s manner of speech.
‘…Why did he abruptly start using such respectful language?’

As Alon frowned slightly at the recollection, Evan interrupted his thoughts.
“Marquis, everything is prepared.”
“Already?”
“I anticipated you might wish to depart soon, so I made the arrangements ahead of time.”

Following the ever-efficient Evan, Alon boarded the carriage bound for Lartania.

***

Lately, Deus Maccalian’s younger sister, Sili Maccalian, had often been found wearing a puzzled expression.

The cause was a statue erected in the center of the private training ground Deus had specially prepared for her magical studies.

A statue depicting only the lower half of a body.

While Sili did not have any major objections to the presence of ‘such a thing’ in her training area, she couldn’t help but find it strange.

Admittedly, even though the unfinished sculpture, currently just a lower half, was colossal—easily dwarfing the size of the complete statue in the garden—the vastness of Sili’s private training ground made it manageable.

The true issue, however, lay elsewhere.

[Hm, hm.]

Her brother, Deus Maccalian, frequently visited to admire the statue of the lower half.

His visits alone were not the problem.

As embarrassing as it was to confess, Sili was quite fond of her brother.

But—

[Sili, what is your opinion of the Marquis’s statue?]
[Hm, the statue shines with brilliance again today. Don’t you agree, Sili?]
[Truly, it is being fashioned to perfection. Wouldn’t you say so, Sili?]

Every time he came, Deus would gaze at the statue and solicit Sili’s thoughts on it.

Naturally, Sili would offer an awkward nod and concur with Deus’s pronouncements, but internally, her genuine reaction could be distilled into a single, uninspired thought:

…They’re just trousers.

Since voicing her true opinion was impossible, Sili always managed with a strained smile.

And as usual, when she arrived at her training ground for magical practice today, she noticed something odd.
“?”

The lower-half statue seemed… larger.

No, it wasn’t just slightly bigger.

Originally, it had stood about the height of a typical two-story building.

But now, it easily surpassed that height.

…???

Sili’s brow furrowed slightly.

“You’re here, Sili.”
“Brother…?”
“Yes.”

Shifting her gaze between Deus’s solemn expression and the expanding statue, Sili forced a smile and inquired,
“…Brother, the statue appears to have grown somewhat?”
“Yes, that is correct. I enlarged it slightly.”

This is more than “slightly”… Sili barely prevented herself from saying it aloud. Instead, she ventured cautiously,
“At this rate, won’t the finished statue easily exceed the height of the mansion?”
“Yes. But it was unavoidable.”
“…Unavoidable?”
“Indeed. Radan mentioned he intends to gift the Marquis a Sea God.”
“A… Sea God?”
“Yes, and it is reportedly immense.”

Though she adored her brother, Sili couldn’t suppress her bewilderment about what that had to do with the statue’s dimensions.
“…Brother?”
“What is it?”
“…Isn’t the sentiment behind a gift more important than its size?”

Sili attempted a logical appeal, but—
“No, Sili.”
“…No?”
“Yes. A gift should evoke awe. And the larger it is, the greater the awe. Surely you understand?”

Deus radiated conviction as he spoke. Sili silently returned her gaze to the statue.
…Still just a lower half.

“—”

Deus let out a soft sigh of admiration, as if the statue encapsulated all his ambitions.

What in the world is this…

“Oh, incidentally, I will be making a short journey to Lartania.”
“…Lartania?”
“Yes, to personally obtain the gemstones that will adorn the Marquis’s ‘eyes.’ Once those are set—”

Deus’s eyes gleamed as if he were envisioning the entire cosmos.
“—it will be perfectly suited to the Marquis.”

Watching her brother become uncharacteristically boyish whenever the subject of Marquis Palatio arose, Sili couldn’t help but feel a small twinge of resentment toward the Marquis.