Became the Patron of Villains Novel MTL - Chapter 181

Chapter 181
“Marquis, you must be quite happy this time, aren’t you?”

“Oh? Is that so?”

“Yes, all the young ones mentioned they are planning a celebration for your special day!”

His birthday, indeed.

Alon cleared his throat, a gesture that seemed unnecessary.

“Well, I certainly appreciate the thought.”

“Stop trying to appear so indifferent now.”

“I’m not trying; this genuinely reflects my feelings.”

“For someone who claims that, your lips are curving up just slightly.”

Alon gently raised his hand to cover his mouth.

To be honest, he did feel a subtle sense of excitement.

He had never once received a birthday present from the children he provided support to.

Of course, that was only natural, as he had never disclosed the precise date of his birth to them.

More importantly, he never offered support with the expectation of receiving gifts in return, so he hadn’t felt disappointed about it before.

‘…Truly.’

“Come on, remember that time Rine promised to send you a present but didn’t? You were clearly pouting.”

“I don’t recall any change in my facial expression.”

“I can recognize it instantly nowadays.”

“…Was I truly that obvious?”

“It’s not that you intentionally showed it, but after nearly a decade of serving you, I’ve learned to notice these things.”

“Is that really the case…?”

“It is.”

Alon shifted his gaze and awkwardly played with the corner of his mouth.

[Hmph, after ten years, and that’s the best you could manage to notice? How utterly pathetic.]

Basiliora, who had been silent just moments prior, emerged from his hiding place.

“Here he comes again.”

Evan clicked his tongue the very instant Basiliora materialized, adhering to their usual dynamic.

Not about to back down, Basiliora retorted sharply.

[Ha! How discourteous of a mere mortal. I am only speaking the truth. Why the strong reaction?]

“What truth are you referring to?”

[The simple fact that only now, after ten years, you are starting to pick up on such nuances means you have not been executing your duties as a servant properly, correct?]

“You’re practically asking for a light tap on the forehead. So, are you suggesting you can instantly discern the Marquis’s emotions?”

Basiliora straightened his tiny, unimpressive physique with an air of absolute confidence.

[I cannot.]

“…?”

[Why the stunned look on your face?]

“You were just boasting about reading expressions!”

[That’s entirely your issue. Whether I can read facial cues or not is irrelevant to me. Am I Alon’s attendant? No. I am—]

“You are?”

[A deity!]

Cackling loudly like a triumphant villain, Basiliora burst into a fit of laughter.

Evan turned away, acting as though the little snake wasn’t even worth responding to, and addressed Alon.

“Marquis.”

“Yes?”

“Didn’t you mention you’d be attending the Magic Tower conference soon?”

“That is correct.”

Evan subtly indicated Basiliora with a lift of his chin.

“Why don’t you leave him with that fellow, Heinkel, or whatever his name is?”

[!? What utter nonsense! I was merely stating facts! Why must this be happening—]

“Perhaps I should.”

[Gasping, horrified shriek!!!]

As if gripped by a terrible memory, Basiliora began to writhe uncontrollably on the floor.

[Nooo—]

Blackie shook his head in a gesture of pity, watching Basiliora’s distress.

“Marquis, don’t you think this creature has become entirely redundant?”

Evan showed no sign of stopping his suggestion.

“You mean Basiliora?”

“Yes. You haven’t really utilized him since that last time.”

“Hmm, only a single instance of use, I suppose.”

“Then why not just permanently transfer him to Heinkel’s custody?”

[?! What in the world are you suggesting?! Say something reasonable, you foolish youth!!!]

Frothing at the mouth in intense protest, a clearly agitated Basiliora looked pleadingly toward Alon.

[It’s not because I refuse to fight! You are simply failing to summon me!!]

“That point is undeniable.”

Basiliora’s voice rose, desperate to avoid being consigned to Heinkel.

In truth, Basiliora was one of the most potent assets Alon possessed.

Of course, this didn’t imply he was completely without value.

Although he currently resembled a plump, 30cm-long snake, his core essence was that of a god.

‘And furthermore—’

Alon lowered his gaze to Blackie and Basiliora.

Something Kylrus had mentioned previously—

The necessary practice to skillfully command the shadow dragon.

In tandem with that, exploring the potential capabilities of the spirit dragon.

If that initiative succeeded—

‘I could elevate Basiliora’s power even further.’

Having reached a firm decision, Alon looked at the wristband he wore, the ‘Salvation of the wanderer.’

‘It’s nearly time to power this up again. Perhaps I should handle that before making my visit to the elf settlement.’

He mentally arranged the necessary steps in his upcoming schedule.

[You utterly heartless mortal! Are you planning to send me to a living hell with that calculated scheme of yours!?]

“How does it feel to have your existence threatened by a mere beast? And how about the painful realization that your win rate against said beast doesn’t even reach 50%?”

[Don’t spew such blatant falsehoods! I have secured victory more than half the time, and you’ve won less!]

Observing the two engage in their pointless argument, Alon stretched out comfortably in the fierce desert heat.

—

Alon arrived back at the Palatio domain roughly two weeks later.

“That… is the auction house?”

A monumental structure stood prominently in the heart of the Marquis’s territory—something that certainly had not been present when he departed.

“Apparently, that is what it is.”

“…It is enormous.”

And that wasn’t the only change.

Buildings were rapidly appearing like blooming fungi surrounding the huge auction house, forming what was clearly a developing new quarter.

Alon couldn’t suppress a slight feeling of satisfaction swelling in his chest.

…Despite the fact that he hadn’t personally contributed to any of it.

With a hint of eagerness, he moved past the sprawling auction house and arrived at the Marquis’s personal residence.

What greeted him inside, however, was—

“…What exactly is all this?”

“Paperwork.”

“…This sheer quantity?”

“Yes.”

From the floor right up to the ceiling.

A towering accumulation of documents, resembling an imposing fortress made of paper.

Alon let out a profound sigh.

The momentary pride that had filled his heart was instantly replaced by a feeling of deep despair.

‘So, traveling directly to the elf village was impossible from the very start, I see.’

It wasn’t as if dealing with this mountain immediately was absolutely crucial.

He had deferred administrative duties several times before.

But one truth remained painfully evident—

Eventually, he would be forced to process every single one of these.

“Sigh—”

A heavy, exhausted sigh resonated through the office.

How was he expected to tackle all of this by himself…?

“Evan.”

“Yes.”

“Draft a notice for a new hire.”

“A notice for hiring what kind of person?”

“Someone capable of managing administrative tasks.”

However—

“…A notice is fine, but shouldn’t the Marquis personally handle this? The vast majority of these documents are likely critical.”

“…That sounds correct, doesn’t it?”

“Naturally. If you delegate tasks like these, people will inevitably start quietly stealing profits from the top.”

The world was rarely simple.

Alon let out a groan of frustration.

“Is there anyone reliable available?”

“Hmm… Well, possibly one individual?”

[Balderdash.]

Basiliora briefly interjected.

Evan continued speaking as if he hadn’t heard the comment.

“But handling paperwork isn’t really my strong point.”

“Hmm~”

A face suddenly came to his recollection.

‘Should I ask Yutia?’

Alon pondered the idea for a moment but quickly dismissed it and took a seat.

Hiring a new assistant would take time regardless.

So—

“…I might as well begin now.”

He reached out and picked up a document from the pile.

He had felt good about his return home after two months, but now—

As he began flipping through the pages, he started to think staying outside might have been the preferable option.

“…Hm?”

A sudden, unexpected thought occurred to him.

***

Alon managed to complete the processing of the massive stack of documents in a mere week.

How was such a feat possible?

“Haah… Haah…”

It was all thanks to the highly skilled Penia Crysinne.

Even after her role as Alon’s magical research aide had concluded, Penia had not returned to the Magic Tower.

Instead, she had established a small research laboratory in the second office area.

Her goal was to conduct experiments utilizing the catalyst Alon had provided to her.

‘The precise talent I needed was right under my nose the whole time.’

Alon promptly recruited her to assist with the administrative work.

Of course, she hadn’t been pleased about the situation initially.

She agreed to the task, but her expression plainly conveyed the thought—

“Why must it be me?”

But now—

“…Is it actually finished?”

“Yes. You performed admirably. Thanks to your efforts, we finished much faster.”

“That is… a huge relief.”

Despite having worked non-stop overtime for several consecutive days, Penia genuinely appeared thrilled.

And the reason for her joy—

Alon had made a simple proposal to her.

He had merely committed to organizing regular magic instruction sessions with Heinkel.

Yet, she had dedicated herself to the work with such fervent passion.

Alon recalled the events of the last few days.

She had managed eight pens simultaneously, processing documents at an unbelievable speed.

It was a sight so impressively executed that he had almost dropped his own pen just to give her a round of applause.

“What exactly is magic?”

Even though she must have been physically exhausted, Penia never lost her cheerful demeanor.

What precisely did magic represent to her?

Why did she willingly throw herself into a task that most people would actively avoid?

Recalling his previous mental image of mages as rigid and overly meticulous individuals—

‘…Perhaps mages are actually the most straightforward people of all.’

He decided he needed to revise that opinion today.

“Alright, take the rest of today off. Starting tomorrow, we will shift our focus back to magical research.”

“Understood—huh?”

Penia replied instinctively, then blinked, her eyes widening in surprise.

Alon gave her a knowing pat on the shoulder.

“Don’t worry about a thing. I will personally explain the situation to Heinkel.”

“Gasp! Understood—!”

It took less than a single second.

Her previously worn-out expression instantly brightened completely.

Her energy seemed to return in full as she bolted out of the room.

Watching her departure, Alon mused—

‘…Yes. Mages truly are simple beings.’

Alon nodded quietly to himself.

***

The morning of Alon’s birthday arrived before he had fully realized it.

Waking up early, Alon glanced at the spot beside his pillow.

There, curled up as always, was Blackie, sleeping soundly.

Gently stroking the soft black fur, Alon rose from his bed.

‘Is it today?’

In both his previous existence and since inhabiting this one, he had never considered his birthday to be particularly noteworthy.

However, the knowledge that the young ones had prepared gifts made today feel strangely distinct.

‘I wonder what kind of presents they managed to put together.’

The thought naturally occurred to him as he changed his attire.

It wasn’t that he held any expectation of receiving expensive items.

This unfamiliar feeling of anticipation had absolutely no connection to the material value of the gifts.

Regardless of what they had prepared, the simple fact that they had gone to the effort warmed Alon’s heart.

This novel emotion even made him feel like a stranger looking in at himself.

‘Well, good feelings are simply… good.’

With a slight, contented smile, he pulled back the curtains.

“?”

And instantly noticed something profoundly peculiar.

Not only did it tower over the Marquis’s manor, but it even eclipsed the towering walls of the Palatio territory itself—

A truly immense statue.

“???”

The statue depicted Alon himself, draped in a flowing black overcoat, one hand raised in a casual manner, with enormous diamonds set within both eye sockets.

It stood proudly in the absolute center of the territory.

Alon stood frozen, staring blankly for a long time.

Then—

“Hmm?”

He was struck by a peculiar sense of familiarity.

The odd feeling stemmed from the posture of the statue.

It seemed incredibly recognizable somehow.

Where had he encountered this pose before?

As he delved deep into his memories—

“Ah?”

The realization struck him.

That specific posture—

“That is…”

It was nearly identical to the statue of the North Korean leader he had seen during his previous life.

Thus commenced the eventful day of his birthday.

Would you like me to look up the dates for the upcoming Magic Tower conference for you?