Became the Patron of Villains Novel MTL - Chapter 175

Chapter 175
Archaeologist Teyra.

He was formerly a 5th-tier spellcaster belonging to the Red Tower, but after an artifact found in the Colony captivated his interest, he dedicated the subsequent two decades to persistently investigating the vestiges of bygone eras, never deterred by peril.

Right from the beginning, he found King Carmaxes III’s summons perplexing.

Although Carmaxes III’s patronage enabled him to remain in the Colony and pursue his archaeological inquiries, Teyra was aware of the true situation.

Carmaxes III had very little genuine interest in the study of ancient history itself.

What the King actually coveted were the incidental discoveries that accompanied the old artifacts Teyra brought to light.

Therefore.

“Does the Sage God genuinely exist?”

Carmaxes III’s inquiry baffled him even further.

Such an abrupt and unexpected question.

Had the King suddenly developed a passion for ancient studies?

Nevertheless, Teyra provided a thoughtful response.

“……So, based on your findings, there is a chance that the Sage God is real?”

“Rather than suggesting a possibility, I believe a more precise statement would be that the Sage God, in fact, does exist.”

“Are you prepared to stand by those words?”

“I am.”

Even when pressured for certainty, he maintained a confident nod—because he had actually encountered the Sage God previously.

It happened during one of his numerous ventures into forgotten mysteries.

He had trespassed into the domain of the Lizardmen, risking capture and execution, and there, he had witnessed it firsthand.

Visibly unique. Power beyond comparison.

Not a borrowed heavenly power like that utilized by clerics, but the very core of might itself.

Reverence, dread, and elation.

The zealous devotion of the Lizardmen who worshiped the entity was still sharp in his memory.

But why was Carmaxes III so intrigued by the Sage God?

He considered the possibility that the monarch had merely heard rumors and developed a superficial curiosity.

However—

‘This is serious.’

The King’s demeanor was graver than usual.

It was as if he were contemplating an issue that could determine the destiny of his domain.

“……Is there a method to verify if an individual is the Sage God?”

“Verify, you say?”

“Yes.”

A surprising line of questioning.

“My apologies, but could you specify exactly what information you are seeking?”

“I mean precisely that. Is there a means to confirm the identity of someone as the Sage God?”

“Instead of needing to confirm, the Sage Gods possess a clear visual difference from ordinary people. In other words, they are recognizable just by looking at them.”

“……Is that the case?”

Carmaxes III’s face showed a flicker of discomfort.

After a brief pause for reflection, he carefully continued speaking.

“……Then, what if the Sage God were pretending to be human? Would that scenario be feasible?”

“If you are purely inquiring about the theoretical possibility, I would not rule it out.”

“Then, is there a technique to perceive such a concealment? Preferably, without the person in question realizing they are being assessed.”

As the interrogation persisted, Teyra began to understand the underlying reason for Carmaxes III’s questions regarding the Sage God.

‘Has someone appeared who is suspected of being a Sage God?’

A momentary hypothesis.

But lacking additional data, he didn’t elaborate and simply assented.

“I have never performed such a test, but to answer directly, yes, a technique exists.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes.”

Teyra recalled a certain object he had recently retrieved from a set of forgotten ancient ruins.

“Then, when the appropriate time arrives, I will call for you. It won’t be long—this individual is traveling to the Colony soon.”

“Understood.”

Holding back his inquisitiveness, Teyra replied and departed.

Left solitary, Carmaxes III spoke quietly to himself.

‘……If Marquis Palatio genuinely is a deity—’

His gaze darkened with profound seriousness.

***

The following day.

After concluding all his commitments in Lartania, Alon met with Rine before setting out.

“You are leaving now.”

“I must.”

“That is regrettable.”

In contrast to yesterday, the tension in her expression had vanished. In fact, she appeared even more composed than normal.

No—she was attempting to maintain her composure.

Concealing her actual feelings behind a subtle smile, making a strenuous effort not to betray anything else.

Observing her, Alon hesitated for a moment.

And then.

“….”

“Excuse me?”

He spoke composedly.

“The past is nothing more than what has already transpired.”

The faint smile on Rine’s face slowly disappeared.

To be honest, Alon had contemplated whether to utter these words or not.

Because doing so would shatter the façade she was wearing, forcing her to confront a part of her history she desperately wished to keep hidden.

Yet, despite that—

‘If this simple act could grant Rine even a small measure of peace, then it is worthwhile.’

That conviction was stronger.

Naturally, he wasn’t privy to the specifics.

Precisely what she had endured.

Why she dreaded the exposure of her background.

But he had two probable assumptions.

First—her history likely involved an incident connected to the machinations of an Apostle, leaving behind deep psychological scars.

When the truth became known, Rine feared that Alon and others might view her differently.

Alon also did not want to compel her to reveal traumas she was fighting so hard to keep hidden.

However, wounds that remain concealed never get the chance to heal.

That was why, after careful consideration, he chose to speak.

“—”

Just as he was about to continue, Alon slowly decided against voicing the rest of his thoughts.

Instead—

Tap, tap—

He gently patted her shoulder.

Even if his intention was concern for Rine, speaking without fully grasping her experiences could be disrespectful to her struggles.

And additional words were unnecessary.

Unlike Seolrang, Rine would grasp the significance behind his physical gesture.

“I will be going.”

After patting her shoulder a couple more times, Alon turned to leave.

“……Thank you, Godfather.”

Hearing her voice, the heaviness in his own heart felt slightly diminished.

Because a smile had appeared on Rine’s lips.

Not the forced, artificial one she had been putting on, but a faint, unforced smile.

Seeing this, Alon thought—perhaps this was the first instance he had witnessed Rine’s genuine expression.

“Yes.”

He replied softly and walked away.

He wasn’t aware of it, but a small smile had also formed on his own lips.

***

A small ravine on the northern perimeter of Lartania.

A barren region, home to only a few isolated monsters.

Thud—!

Abruptly, a hand erupted from the earth.

A pallid, bluish arm, suggesting it belonged to a corpse long interred.

Crack— crack—

The sound of bones locking into place echoed as vitality gradually returned to the flesh.

Then, with a loud crumbling sound, the earth mound disintegrated, and from within, a nude woman emerged.

“Hah—”

Exhaling a quiet sigh, the figure revealed herself—Apostle of Greed, Emil.

Brushing away the dirt clinging to her body with an annoyed motion, she stood upright.

The bluish tint of her corpse-like skin shimmered under the faint moonlight.

But soon, accompanied by a series of snapping sounds, her entire form began to rebuild itself.

Before long, her flesh regained a healthy hue, appearing entirely human once more.

Examining her restored body as if evaluating its quality, she smirked and murmured under her breath.

“Oh, I perished~”

Her tone was somewhat regretful.

Yet, for someone who had just mentioned their own demise, her reaction was far too nonchalant.

But then again, to her, death was not a source of fear.

Unlike other Apostles, the recollections bestowed upon her by Greed allowed her to defy mortality a few times and return.

‘Marquis Palatio, was that his name?’

Now completely restored, the Apostle of Greed recalled the man who had “slain” her.

A mage—no, a True Mage—who had wielded sorcery with an utterly blank expression.

‘No matter how I analyze it, he is an anomaly. By all logical standards, he should be incomplete, incapable of using proper magic sequences—so why is his power so immense?…… And even more crucially, why does his mana contain divine energy?’

Emil’s expression twisted slightly in contemplation.

In truth, she possessed the capability to escape the confinement Alon had created for her.

The “Tome of Rotten Wood” she commanded held an enormous reservoir of mana, enough to facilitate an escape.

But because of the sacred energy infused within Alon’s sorcery, she was unable to effectively draw upon the stored mana inside the tome.

‘His vessel was a little more resilient than I anticipated, but…… I had already suspected there was more to him. Meeting him in person, he proved to be even more unusual than I’d imagined.’

She conceded to herself that she had underestimated Marquis Palatio.

‘Perhaps I should have broken him before proceeding with my plan.’

The reason she had approached him with such little caution was her intention to utilize him to fully awaken Rine as a vessel.

All signs pointed to it.

Marquis Palatio held crucial importance for the vessel.

At the time, she had judged him too valuable to eliminate.

‘Well, what’s happened is done. My first priority is to recuperate.’

Emil looked down at her shaking hands.

Naturally, she was not capable of resurrecting without limit, and there were significant consequences involved.

For one, her capabilities were severely diminished upon reanimation.

This was because her revival operated through “body substitution” rather than genuine restoration.

Instead of resurrecting in the same body, her spirit would detach and occupy a vessel prepared in advance.

In essence, no matter how much effort she expended, the moment she died, she forfeited everything linked to her physical prowess—though her acquired knowledge remained intact.

It was akin to restarting a game at the lowest level but retaining special character traits.

Still, since her accumulated experience persisted, she could quickly recover her previous level of strength.

‘Well, I can always prepare again. It’s fortunate I haven’t exhausted my “materials” yet.’

Emil began reorganizing her strategy in her mind.

This time, she would not make the mistake of underestimating Marquis Palatio.

And she would guarantee that Rine fully awakened as a vessel.

After revising her strategy accordingly—

‘This time, I’ll take a slow and deliberate approach.’

Smiling to herself, she took a step into the dark forest.

Thud!

“Ah?”

—She was unable to move forward.

“Hello there.”

Under the blue moon, eyes as clear as an untouched lake shone brightly.

Behind her, a blade had been delicately, yet precisely, driven into her back.