Became the Patron of Villains Novel MTL - Chapter 179

🌙 Chapter 178: The Warning in the Desert

 

Draim, the commanding figure of the Shadow Leaves organization, had created distance between himself and Marquis Palatio following a recent encounter with a certain individual.

However, establishing this gap did not signify that he had abandoned his assigned duty to safeguard the noble.

Even though he harbored deep misgivings about the entire assignment from the outset and had been directly intimidated by that ambiguous individual.

Ultimately, the Shadow Leaves were bound to follow the Queen’s directives without question or deviation.

This meant that until the command was officially withdrawn, he was obligated to protect Marquis Palatio, regardless of his personal inclinations.

Instead, Draim opted for a strategy of observing the Marquis from a significant remove.

Naturally, protection at close quarters was the accepted protocol, but the circumstances afforded no alternative.

‘He is no common person.’

This was a man of such immense power that Draim himself could not confidently predict a victory against him.

The one who had instantly issued a menacing threat.

A man whose fighting capability seemed utterly incalculable.

Moreover, he displayed an unsettling, fanatical fervor in his defense of Marquis Palatio, surpassing even the dedication of the Queen’s royal bodyguards.

Fearing an unnecessary clash, Draim reached a conclusion.

He would maintain the Marquis’s security while positioning himself at a range where detection was impossible.

Reflecting on his choice, Draim felt his judgment had been sound.

The deranged combatant no longer seemed to sense his presence.

This was to be expected, as Draim had successfully tripled the effective radius of his protection and surveillance.

That was precisely why Draim had never once contemplated—

That he himself would be located.

“Guh—”

With eyes wide and shaking, Draim gazed at the figure materialized before him.

Beneath the pale blue glow of the moon, golden electricity sparked and disseminated in every direction.

A beastkin with an expression so icily impassive that it appeared capable of freezing the very world.

‘How… was my presence revealed?’

Draim found himself completely unable to process the immediate situation.

No—more accurately, he could not accept the fact of his discovery.

But he had no time to deliberate.

“—”

The longer his momentary silence stretched, the more constricted the grip tightening around his windpipe became.

“Wa-wait just a—”

Just as the gasping Draim hastily attempted to voice a protest—

“I was informed.”

“……By whom?”

“Deus told me everything. You are the group, are you not? The elves lingering stealthily around Master.”

The beastkin, Seolrang, spoke her piece.

Her tone was utterly devoid of feeling.

“I won’t waste words. Just keep your distance from Master.”

“We harbor no ill will toward Marquis Palatio—”

“I couldn’t care less about your intentions. Simply having suspicious vermin loitering near Master is cause for displeasure. Unless—”

Seolrang’s golden pupils ignited like flashes of lightning.

“—I should perhaps just exterminate you and everyone you represent?”

A homicidal aura that caused every strand of hair on Draim’s body to stand rigidly on end.

Yet, even confronted by such lethal intent, Draim managed to force out a scornful, strained chuckle.

“……That is astonishingly presumptuous.”

Seolrang offered no verbal reply.

Instead, she silently activated the Thunder God Manifestation technique.

Crackle—!!

In an instant, the golden electrical power surged and pulsed through Seolrang’s body, condensing its entire force within her form.

As if the immense energy could not be contained, the concentrated lightning violently erupted, bathing her entire figure in a radiant golden luminescence.

In contrast to her previous confrontation with the Apostle, Seolrang’s utilization of the Thunder God Manifestation was notably more stable and controlled this time.

Draim’s eyes widened further in sheer astonishment at the display.

The sheer volume of magical power emanating from Seolrang was far from ordinary.

And then—

“Commit my words to memory, elf. This is the last and final time I will warn you.”

---

“Stay away from Master. Never allow yourself to appear before me again. Should you fail, I will execute you and every single person behind you.”

“……Do you honestly believe such a thing is feasible?”

Draim sneered openly at the sheer magnitude of arrogance in her proclamation.

“Yes. Because it won’t be only me acting—”

Seolrang’s golden-hued lips curled into a chilling, unnerving smile.

“Yutia will also take action.”

And then—

Crack!

Draim’s neck was brutally crushed.

“Ah—what an utter pity.”

As his detached head dropped to the ground, the landscape spun upside down in his blurring vision.

And in that desolate, distorted sight, he witnessed—

“If you operate as a shadow organization, then I merely have to make an example by executing every one of them.”

Under the blue-tinted moon in the heart of the desert, unnervingly golden eyes pursued his retreating consciousness.

And—

“Gah—!”

Draim awoke in a spasm, vomiting a mouthful of blood.

“Captain!?”

“Are you injured!?”

“It’s the residual effect of the Shadow Magic—!”

His subordinates frantically rushed towards him in alarmed confusion.

Supported by them, Draim leaned against a nearby stone, clutching his aching, throbbing head.

“Refrain from acting rashly.”

“…Our apologies.”

The subordinates immediately bowed their heads following Draim’s sharp instruction.

Yet, they all maintained expressions of profound bewilderment.

Because they were fully aware of the dire implication—

Of their captain rousing himself while coughing up blood.

“Hah—”

Sensing the inner turmoil raging within him, Draim expelled a labored, heavy breath.

‘Not only did she pinpoint my location in the vast desert, but she also identified me as a shadow operative. How on earth did she—?’

A cascade of unresolved questions flooded his thoughts.

And then, his features contorted in sudden horror.

Up until this moment, only a singular person had ever possessed the capability to instantly see through his specialized Shadow Magic.

Which implied that the beastkin he had just encountered—

“……That is completely absurd.”

A curse instinctively slipped past Draim’s lips before he could fully restrain it.

His subordinates visibly winced at the unprecedented sight of their commanding officer losing his composure.

But Draim’s entire focus was elsewhere—

Directed solely on the true nature of Marquis Palatio.

‘What precisely is that man…?’

For such overwhelmingly powerful individuals to act bashful and so openly eager for approval—it defied all logic.

‘Should my immediate action be to return and file a report?’

Draim’s deliberation intensified.

---

Alon was momentarily taken aback by King Carmaxes III’s unexpected shift to overly formal honorifics.

“Ahem, my sincerest apologies. I have been diligently reading etiquette manuals recently.”

Noticing Alon’s surprised reaction, Carmaxes III quickly reverted his tone.

Alon found it strange—was it truly necessary for a sovereign ruler to be studying proper etiquette? But he elected to simply accept the explanation for the time being.

However, from that exact point onward, the atmosphere of the entire state banquet became progressively more uncomfortable.

“Does the selection of food meet your refined palate?”

“It is excellent.”

“If you find anything even remotely displeasing, please inform me. I shall have it re-prepared immediately.”

“Ah, of course….”

Carmaxes III had never previously shown the slightest concern regarding the food, yet now he was meticulously paying attention to every detail.

“Oh, and by the way, are the Guild’s accommodations sufficiently comfortable? If staying there presents any difficulties, you are warmly invited to reside right here in the royal palace.”

“The royal palace, you offer?”

“Yes. What is your opinion?”

“I am truly grateful for the exceptionally kind offer, but I will regrettably have to decline.”

“I understand? That truly is a misfortune. But if you happen to change your mind, let me know—you will be treated as the most distinguished of honored guests.”

“Duly noted.”

The king was now spontaneously offering him lodging within the palace out of sheer generosity.

And finally—

“Marquis.”

“Yes.”

“Is there anything at all you find inconvenient, or anything that you are currently in need of?”

“…Are you asking me if I have any specific requests?”

“Precisely. If there is anything whatsoever, you only need to utter the request. I will spare absolutely no effort in securing it for you.”

“If any requirement comes to mind, I will certainly inform you.”

He seemed frantic in his desperation to provide some kind of service for Alon.

‘Did I inadvertently commit some error? If not, is he attempting to obtain something from me?’

It was only natural that suspicion and questions began to surface in his mind.

However—

“Well then, I shall take my leave now.”

“Haha, very well. Should you ever require my assistance, please do not hesitate for a moment to ask!”

“I understand.”

In the end, the banquet concluded without any specific requests being levied by the king.

Alon barely managed to escape the presence of Carmaxes III, who appeared highly reluctant to see him go, and finally boarded his carriage.

“Marquis.”

“What is it?”

“Did you, by any chance, uncover some form of leverage over Carmaxes III? Perhaps something compromising about him…?”

Evan, who had accompanied him, had also sensed the unusual behavior and probed for an explanation.

Alon immediately shook his head in denial.

“Of course not.”

“I suspected as much.”

“Indeed.”

“But if that’s the case, why is he acting in such an outlandish manner?”

“That, I have absolutely no clue.”

“…You genuinely have no idea?”

A hint of suspicion registered on Evan’s face.

Alon shrugged his shoulders, indicating he was speaking the absolute truth.

“Yes, I truly am baffled.”

“…Hmm, that is very peculiar.”

In fact, Alon himself was the most perplexed individual present.

He had zero insight into the reasons behind Carmaxes III’s eccentric behavior.

As the numerous unanswered questions persisted, the carriage soon arrived at Seolrang’s guild headquarters.

“Seolrang.”

“Oh! Master! You’ve finally returned?!”

The instant she recognized Alon, Seolrang lunged, wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, locked her legs around his waist, and clung to him with the tenacity of a cicada clinging to a tree.

Alon was no longer startled by her overly affectionate greetings and simply inquired—

“I visited the palace, but you weren’t there. Where did you go off to?”

“Oh, I was actually heading towards the palace, but then something completely slipped my mind, and I got diverted.”

“Something you forgot to do?”

“Yup! There was a task I had to complete, and it just spontaneously popped into my thoughts~”

Nod, nod!

Seolrang’s head enthusiastically bobbed up and down.

Like a parent respecting the growing privacy of their child, Alon chose not to press her for further details.

The day following his recovery from the exhaustion of the banquet—

“Good morning!”

Early in the morning, Karsem appeared, leading a detachment of soldiers.

“…Karsem, it’s certainly been a while.”

“Yes, it has!”

Not only had Karsem lost a noticeable amount of weight, but his muscles had become dramatically more defined, bulging forcefully through his uniform as if intentionally drawing attention to themselves.

Beside Alon, Evan murmured under his breath, “Wow, life really doesn’t play fair.”

Alon almost instinctively agreed with the sentiment.

“I was informed you are making an excursion to the ruins! I will personally accompany and protect you!”

Karsem’s incredibly loud voice boomed throughout the area.

“Accompany…?”

“Precisely!”

Alon glanced briefly at the formation of soldiers standing rigidly behind Karsem and hesitated for a moment.

“…This feels slightly excessive for a mere protective escort.”

This was not a casual observation—it was demonstrably true.

Even with a quick count, the sheer number of soldiers Karsem had brought easily surpassed several hundred.

However—

“No, Marquis! Since it is you who is going, this level of security is absolutely essential!”

“?”

Karsem responded with absolute conviction, showing not the slightest trace of doubt.

While he always possessed an overly enthusiastic nature, something about his behavior today seemed… unusual.

‘…Why do his eyes appear even more fervent than they were before?’

Alon could not shake the feeling that Karsem’s gaze was now infused with an even deeper level of reverence than he had perceived in the past.

It was distinct from the simple admiration he had sensed previously.

‘What in the world could have occurred to bring about this change in him?’

A new inquiry formed in Alon’s mind, but—

“…Very well, I will place my trust in your arrangements.”

“Yes, sir!”

It felt too awkward to directly ask for an explanation, so without any further discussion, Alon began his journey toward the ancient ruins.

Before long, they arrived at the destination.

As the sun began its ascent, Alon moved purposefully toward the central tower, walking through the now-familiar ancient site.

He proceeded into the interior of the tower and climbed to the upper levels.

And after a considerable amount of time—

What greeted his sight was not a Dragonkin—

“…Huh?”

—but a distinctive red pendant and a solitary, folded letter.

---

At the very same moment that Alon discovered the red pendant within the ruins—

In the royal palace belonging to the Ashtalon Kingdom, Zakurak, who was standing alongside King Stalian V, received a communication delivered by a peculiar entity that materialized through the window.

“A letter originating from their side?”

“Yes.”

“…A spirit?”

“They are considered part of their extended lineage.”

The letter itself was visually indistinct, its physical form flickering in and out of focus.

Zakurak accepted it and immediately tore it open to begin reading the contents.

Then—

“Heh.”

His heavy, dark-colored armor shifted marginally as his shoulders shook with a bout of silent laughter.

“What has caused this amusement?”

Hearing the unexpected sound of the chuckle, King Stalian V raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

“I must apologize, but I will be required to operate independently for a brief period.”

“…This is quite sudden.”

“Yes. It would generate unnecessary complications to travel in a group.”

“What is the nature of the issue?”

“There is something specific I need to verify.”

“Verify what?”

Stalian V simply shrugged his shoulders and returned his concentration to the documents piled on his desk.

Since no major military operation had commenced yet, Zakurak’s temporary absence would not cause any significant operational problems.

Therefore—

“Very well. It must be of crucial importance.”

He acknowledged the situation nonchalantly and immediately reached for another document.

“Indeed. I need to ascertain whether Marquis Palatio is, in fact, an intimate associate of the one we serve.”

“That makes perfect sense. Marquis Palatio is a close associate of the one you ser—”

“…What did you just say?”

Stalian V instinctively lifted his head, his gaze locked on Zakurak.

“…What were the last words you uttered?”

The question escaped his lips before he could fully process the gravity of the implication.