Became the Patron of Villains Novel MTL - Chapter 174

Chapter 174

 

The Fading Absolute

 

The monstrous form ascending through the air.

The gaping mouth displaying its needle-sharp teeth.

The beast charging forward with entrails trailing behind it.

All of them instantaneously turned a pristine white.

But the effect didn’t stop there.

Every single monster within the perimeter of Alon’s magical influence also oxidized into a solid, unblemished white.

Ssshh—

They dissolved.

It wasn’t ostentatious.

There was no deafening, ground-shaking blast.

It wasn’t aggressive.

Nor was it an overwhelming demonstration of brute force.

They simply disintegrated.

Like figures of packed snow gradually melting with the onset of spring.

Every creature inside Alon’s magical field was reduced to nothing more than scattering flakes.

The Monsters.

The Maws.

The Creatures.

Even the tree that relentlessly generated them.

And—

“This is impossible—”

—The Apostle, too.

Just as the principles of nature are universally applied.

The arcane territory Alon had established imposed a similarly absolute rule upon everything contained within it.

Alon fixed his gaze upon her.

She stared at her own form, which was steadily fragmenting into minute pieces, as if she couldn’t grasp the reality of the situation.

She frantically attempted to rally her power to oppose Alon’s, trying to solidify everything in a desperate, final bid for an exit.

But, regrettably for her, any spell she managed to conjure froze solid the very instant it manifested.

“This strength is—”

Her quavering voice, thick with disbelief, abruptly fell silent.

Crack—!

A fracture appeared on her pale, immobilized face before she utterly shattered.

And within the vast subterranean chamber, not a single trace remained.

---

Rine stared blankly at Marquis Palatio’s back.

His cloak, decorated with frost crystals, billowed softly as he articulated hand signs, causing six arms made of ice to extend from his form.

The awe inherent in the silence he commanded.

And Alon—

…felt nauseous.

His stomach twisted from the magical power he had stretched to its absolute limit, and only then did he deactivate the arcane sigil.

Crackle—!

The six spectral hands behind him disintegrated into snowflakes, mirroring the monsters, and dissipated into the air.

‘…At least it unfolded exactly as intended.’

Alon recalled the image of the Apostle, whose face had been locked in a expression of shock before she dissolved into white particles.

There were two principal reasons he had succeeded in overcoming the Apostle this time.

Firstly, the space was confined enough for his magic to fully envelop it.

Secondly, he had anticipated the Apostle would relax her guard.

He had been fully aware that her goal was to push Rine to her psychological and emotional breaking point, forcing her to embrace the path of sin.

On this occasion, he had also managed to mitigate the primary weakness of his enchantment.

The spell he had refined with Penia was extraordinarily potent.

The moment a target was snared within the expanding magical force intertwined with three or more seals, their sole chance of escape lay in either overwhelming, catastrophic magic capable of completely obliterating Alon’s power, or sheer, physically impossible might.

That wasn’t the extent of its power.

By violently contorting the molecular configuration of the magic, he amplified the elemental resonance within the confined space, ensuring that even the most minor incantation would ripple across the entirety of the domain.

And he retained the ability to choose which specific spell would manifest.

But even this formidable magic contained a critical vulnerability.

The magical confines themselves were exceedingly susceptible to outside impact.

Once trapped inside, escape was impossible.

The expanding magic restricted the opponent’s bodily functions.

The rigid magical molecules obstructed their spells and even impaired their ability to initiate casting altogether.

However, from the outside, it was like a thin membrane.

A single external application of force—be it magical or physical—could destabilize the molecules maintaining the magical enclosure and instantly shatter it.

‘…I must find a permanent fix for this soon.’

Alon and Penia were already aware of the remedy.

It was simple—he merely had to abandon the expansion component and connect the seals directly.

But currently, Alon was unable to do so.

He had to employ his maximum power and extend the spell just to ensure he could cover the necessary spatial area.

Ultimately, his success in capturing both the Apostle and the monsters was due only to the cavern’s size being just within his capacity, and the Apostle’s carelessness.

‘…Still, for its inaugural trial in the field, it was effective.’

Alon felt a private satisfaction that the magic he had devised had functioned as intended.

Naturally, he didn’t reveal his pleasure.

Instead, he turned toward Rine with an expressionless look.

“Are you alright?”

“…Yes, I’m fine, Godfather.”

She uttered the words, but her pallor indicated otherwise.

“We should make our way back for now.”

His voice held a subtle hint of concern.

---

Alon roused the unconscious Evan and departed the cavern with him and Rine.

Evan, who had been insensible and knew nothing of the preceding events, soon learned the details from Rine.

“If you heed that thing’s voice, you perish?”

“Yes. Whatever she speaks of, it’s knowledge that must never be heard.”

“…What on earth does that even mean?”

Unlike Evan, who tilted his head in confusion, Alon instantly understood.

He had encountered reports of it previously and had even experienced a comparable phenomenon in Raksas.

‘…But I never imagined someone could actually weaponize knowledge itself.’

Alon looked at Rine.

Seeing the uncertainty clouding her face, he hesitated.

‘…She definitely possessed some prior understanding of the Apostle.’

Her reaction earlier, his personal inferences—everything suggested the Apostle shared a history with Rine’s past.

“Rine.”

“…Yes, Godfather.”

Her reply was more delayed than usual.

Alon studied her face intently.

Her color had slightly returned.

But a different emotion flickered in her eyes.

A faint but unmistakable unease.

Catching this, Alon paused briefly before settling on his course of action.

“…You’ve been through enough. Rest when we get back.”

He chose not to press her regarding her past.

He was, of course, curious.

But it was obvious.

She didn’t wish to speak of it.

Yet, if Alon were to ask, she would undoubtedly answer truthfully.

But he didn’t want to compel her to revisit something she preferred to leave undisturbed.

“Thank you, Godfather.”

Rine lowered her head.

To an observer, it would have seemed like a simple show of thanks for his solicitude.

But Alon recognized the depth of it.

She had perceived his consideration and was expressing gratitude for his choice.

“…? What’s happening between the two of you, keeping me out of the loop?”

Evan, incapable of grasping the subtle atmosphere, merely looked back and forth between Alon and Rine in confusion.

By the time the sun began its descent, Alon had returned to Lartania and encountered Deus, who had just finished his exploration of the labyrinth.

“You returned sooner than I had expected.”

“Yes, the route finding was simple, allowing me to retrieve what I required quickly.”

A look of contentment graced Deus’s lips, as if he had secured something immensely valuable.

“Did you also acquire what you were seeking, Marquis?”

“I did.”

Alon confirmed with a nod, idly touching the artifact, ‘Footsteps of the Past’, inside his clothing.

In truth, he should have only returned after finalizing all his discussions with Kylrus.

Strictly speaking, he had only secured half of what he truly desired.

But there was a single reason he could still assert with confidence that he had gotten what he wanted.

‘Now, I won’t be obligated to go back there just to meet Kylrus.’

He recalled Kylrus’s words spoken just before he exited the mental plane.

[Don’t worry, kid. The moment I connected to this place, I became bound to you. As long as you activate the medium, you’ll be able to summon me back here anytime. We’ll resume our conversation then.]

A very brief exchange.

Of course, to utilize ‘Footsteps of the Past’ again, he would need to restore his mana reserves.

But that was a minor concern.

Assuming no catastrophe occurred, he could accumulate sufficient mana within a month.

‘…That being said, in Psychedelia, I could only use it in that exact location. Why was that?’

Alon briefly pondered this strange inconsistency before Deus spoke.

“Marquis.”

“What is it?”

“You can look forward to it.”

Deus straightened his posture with a slight, knowing smile, radiating a quiet self-assurance—almost like a youth anticipating recognition.

“…I appreciate the favor, but don’t exert yourself excessively.”

“I understand.”

“So, have you concluded your business in Lartania? Are you heading off now?”

“No, I need to make a stop at Raksas for something.”

Deus added that he needed to procure certain materials there.

For a moment, Alon questioned if Deus had even registered what he had just communicated.

At that exact time—

[Hmmm… That was quite revitalizing.]

A familiar sound echoed.

Alon glanced downwards.

Basiliora, who had been uncharacteristically silent within his ring until they arrived back in Lartania, had finally emerged.

[…Whoa! What in the world is that person?!]

The instant he spotted Deus, Basiliora recoiled in surprise.

“…Huh?”

Deus frowned as he examined the tiny snake.

Alon clarified, “That is Basiliora. Do you remember when I mentioned him briefly on our way to Lartania?”

Deus contemplated for a moment before slapping his fist into his palm.

“Ah, correct. Just as you mentioned, he’s much smaller now.”

Deus scrutinized Basiliora with curiosity.

[What are you staring at?!]

Basiliora, conversely, bristled with aggression.

A profound difference in demeanor.

Observing the interaction, realization dawned on Alon.

‘…Ah, that makes perfect sense.’

He recalled that Deus had been instrumental in capturing Basiliora.

‘It’s no wonder he harbors a degree of animosity.’

He also remembered that Basiliora refrained from attacking him solely due to Heinkel.

Alon offered a slight nod of comprehension.

“Hm.”

Deus, unaffected by Basiliora’s reaction, simply stared at the small creature before commenting,

“He’s quite charming in this state.”

He let out a quiet laugh.

[WHAT?! How dare an insignificant human call ME charming?!]

Basiliora erupted into a full-blown tantrum.

“…Charming?”

“Yes.”

“…That particular creature?”

Alon found the sentiment bewildering.

Despite transporting Basiliora daily, the thought of him being charming had never crossed his mind.

‘…If anything, the only charming one is Blackie, not— Ah.’

He abruptly remembered how Deus’s younger sister, Sili, had admired Blackie while Deus himself remained indifferent.

‘So that is his preference…’

With that insight, Alon merely nodded.

“Yes, this small creature is rather charming.”

[Raaaaaahhh!!]

“…I see.”

Alon concluded that Deus’s personal taste in aesthetics was notably strange.

---

At that very moment—

In the Kingdom of Colony—

“…So, according to your findings, a ‘Sage God’ might actually exist?”

“Rather than the possibility of existence, I believe it is more accurate to state that the Sage God truly does exist.”

“Can you take full responsibility for that assertion?”

“Yes.”

As Carmaxes III listened to the scholar’s claim,

‘…Could it be that Marquis Palatio is genuinely a deity?’

He found himself arriving at an utterly bizarre hypothesis.