Became the Patron of Villains Novel MTL - Chapter 198

Chapter 198

 

Heinkel stared into space, utterly vacant.

The bizarre landscape encompassing her sight—

A sanctuary completely washed in crimson, and…

“A crimson… moon?”

A menacing moon dominated the firmament.

Its scarlet light bathed everything in the world below.

[Spirit.]

“!”

A young woman materialized before her awareness could register it.

She pronounced each word with an intensity, as if biting down on the syllables.

[You ought to cease while you still have the option.]

A black liturgical garment.

Eyes of deep crimson.

Upon seeing her, Heinkel’s thoughts accelerated. Her mental process intensely analyzed, forming, discarding, and concluding multiple theories in a heartbeat.

The objective wasn’t to identify the girl before her.

But to deduce the source of her own lucidity.

To characterize this unnatural domain that had manifested around her.

And with her highly astute intellect, Heinkel grasped the context immediately—

“…”

Without a second thought, she activated her magical power.

She was an entity composed of magic—perhaps magic embodied.

Nevertheless, paradoxically—

For that exact reason, she should be incapable of employing sorcery.

No matter how highly regarded she was by all practitioners, she was ultimately merely a Spirit.

Unless she somehow acquired forbidden dark magic, bringing forth magic while in her spirit form should have been virtually impossible unless it was of the most rudimentary kind.

Yet—

Kwa-ga-ga-ga-k!

As if defying that established rule.

Heinkel unleashed an immense magical force instantly.

Because she had ascertained that, within this specific area, she could give material form to magic.

No,

It wasn’t merely a realization.

She had encountered this peculiar domain before.

Three overlapping magical constructs unfurled around her.

From those three constructs emerged nine more.

Following those nine, twenty-seven additional constructs came into being.

In under ten seconds.

The magic orchestrated by Heinkel—known as the Chalice of the Origin, who had been the zenith of all mages throughout history—

Was such a breathtaking sight that observing it alone compelled all witnesses to kneel in deference.

In this realm where only the crimson radiance prevailed—

Kuuuuugggg~!!

The enormous torrent of meteors she had summoned was plummeting rapidly.

Slicing through the atmosphere, tearing apart even the red illumination as they descended—

Heinkel’s potent spell.

However—

“Heh—”

The reaction of Yutia, who watched the incoming celestial bodies, was incredibly indifferent.

As if she were simply enjoying an amusing spectacle.

Only that meager response.

And she demonstrated no desire to obstruct the falling meteors.

She simply observed.

With zero interference, the meteors smashed into the ground.

Annihilating everything.

The temple roof—

—!!!

The supporting pillars.

The surrounding flora.

The very earth.

The girl standing in front of her.

And even Heinkel herself, the one who had cast the mighty spell.

Subsequently—

Drip!

“!”

Heinkel was returned to the initial point.

The scenario was an exact replica of the moment before.

She was gazing blankly ahead, and everything persisted as it had been.

The red temple.

The crimson trees.

The scarlet marble floor.

The red moon.

Everything remained unaltered.

As if the current moment had been reversed.

And—

The young woman was still present.

“Hmm— My intention was only to issue a warning, but your counter-reaction is much more drastic than anticipated.”

Hearing that, Heinkel’s brow furrowed sharply.

“Why are you here? You should be confined to the Abyss—”

She attempted to articulate her question.

“Shh—”

“…”

But she couldn’t complete her sentence.

The girl’s—no, Yutia Bloodia’s—forefinger had lightly rested against Heinkel’s lips, restricting her ability to move freely.

“I’ve never once manifested my true self, yet you still discerned my identity? You are quite astute. But this is the limit of your curiosity.”

She smiled at Heinkel as if offering praise.

Yet—

Tremble, tremble—

Contradicting her composed demeanor.

From the second she realized the truth of her identity, Heinkel was overcome with paralyzing terror, her whole body shaking beyond control.

Her rational mind vanished, leaving only sheer dread reflected in her gaze.

Yutia, who silently observed those fear-stricken eyes, delicately stroked Heinkel’s face.

Once.

Twice.

And then—

Tap—

She lightly tapped her cheek with her index finger.

“Listen closely, Spirit. I will utter this only once.”

And then—

“If he seeks assistance, provide it to him.”

“If he performs an action, acquiesce to it.”

“If he requests your loyalty, surrender it.”

“That is the absolute limit of what you can do for him. Is that understood?”

The girl’s voice cascaded down.

Like the devastating meteor shower Heinkel had just moments ago unleashed.

“If you comprehend, incline your head.”

Heinkel just barely managed a nod.

Because she acknowledged.

That she possessed no alternative course of action.

“You have always been compliant, and that is a commendable quality. Furthermore—”

In response to Heinkel’s yielding, Yutia affectionately patted her head again.

“You are clever enough to understand, aren’t you? Concerning my nature.”

Then, placing her index finger against her own lips, she smiled with satisfaction.

And with that,

[Gasp!]

“?”

“?”

Heinkel gasped for breath, beads of perspiration running down her face.

“…Are you unharmed?”

Alon inquired, his expression devoid of emotion.

Heinkel, attempting to calm her frantically beating heart, looked at Alon with a look of utter bewilderment.

“…?”

Alon cocked his head slightly, confused by the abrupt stare.

[You—]

Heinkel was on the verge of questioning him.

There were so many things she needed to know.

Even more pressing than when she first witnessed the shadowy figures following him.

She yearned to ask immediately.

Did Alon know the girl who had just appeared?

If so, what was the nature of their bond?

Why was ‘the Abyss’ tracking him?

Who exactly was he?

She desperately wanted answers.

But—

[No, pay it no mind.]

“?”

[…Your request, it was for that woman to receive instruction in sorcery, correct?]

Heinkel couldn’t bring herself to voice the questions.

Because the instant she did—

She knew, with unwavering certainty, that she would not survive the consequences.

Therefore—

“Yes, that is accurate.”

Alon, still appearing somewhat perplexed, nodded.

[Very well, I will accept.]

“Huh? But just a moment ago you said—”

[…That was merely a jest. I was slightly irritated, nothing more.]

No, to be precise, she briefly glanced at the red jewel embedded in Alon’s brooch,

Then awkwardly forced her lips into a smirk.

“Kiiiyaaaah~!”

Penia, who moments ago had seemed on the brink of complete exhaustion, shrieked with excitement like a prehistoric reptile.

[…Commence starting tomorrow.]

Alon wasn’t entirely clear on what had just transpired.

But for the moment, he simply agreed.

---

“Thank you tremendously~!”

“There is no necessity. You fulfilled the payment, and I am simply upholding my part of the agreement.”

“Still, I am very grateful~!”

With intensely bright eyes, she bowed repeatedly before practically floating away, ecstatic with joy.

…It was akin to watching an adorable, plump Shiba Inu clumsily moving in an archived online clip.

As he watched her figure fade into the distance, Alon recalled the events from earlier.

‘What was that incident? Something unquestionably shifted.’

Everything had initially seemed normal.

But at a certain point, a radical change had occurred.

‘And those eyes…’

Alon wasn’t especially adept at discerning emotional states through ocular cues.

But even he could perceive the truth.

It was undeniably—

A look of sheer dread.

“Marquis.”

At that precise moment—

Evan’s voice broke in.

“…What is that mass?”

In his arms was a bulky pile of items.

“Oh, this? These are presents for me.”

The gifts were stacked so high that Evan had to turn his body sideways just to navigate and see ahead.

“Presents?”

“Yes, despite all appearances, I am quite a handsome man, you see. The female mages appear to be very taken with me. Ha ha!”

“?”

“..?”

“…Marquis, that look of total incomprehension is rather painful. Especially coming from someone whose face rarely betrays their feelings.”

“Was I making such an expression?”

“Yes.”

Evan let out a profound sigh.

“Well, technically, they were handed to me, but in reality, their intended recipient was you.”

[…No need to explain further, I understood the moment I laid eyes upon it.]

Previously, Basiliora had been conspicuously absent when they went to meet Heinkel.

But now, as if it had been patiently waiting, it finally reappeared.

“Marquis, why not give that venomous-headed creature to the librarian? Perhaps she can instill some sense into him once and for all.”

[Pfft! Do not utter such nonsense! That miserable—]

Basiliora, who had been speaking boldly, suddenly lowered its voice.

It elongated its body like a desert rodent, scrutinizing its surroundings before—

[You seriously believe I would ever submit to that monstrous entity?!]

It finally shouted its defiance,

“…What a scene.”

[You are the greater spectacle!]

As the pair engaged in their trivial spat,

Alon and his companions eventually reached their temporary dwelling.

“Marquis, speaking of which, I have a matter to report.”

“What information do you possess?”

“It concerns several circulating rumors. You asked if there was any useful intelligence to gather earlier, do you recall?”

“Was there a large quantity?”

“Indeed, since I have not visited the information brokers’ guild in a considerable time, a great deal has accumulated.”

Evan then began to convey the gathered whispers and reports.

“Hmm… That appears to encompass everything.”

Following the summary, Alon mentally categorized the rumors.

Out of all of them, three held particular significance.

First, Eliban was eliminating strange entities while following the route of the Stalian Kingdom.

Second, a catastrophic event had occurred in the capital city of the Varnos Duchy.

And finally,

The reports concerning the Luxibl Duchy—specifically, the ethereal forest of Lonovellia.

The rumors regarding the Varnos Duchy and Lonovellia—

These warranted immediate investigation.

‘Monsters consumed the capital of Varnos, and dark sorcery is spreading throughout Lonovellia.’

But the most troubling of them all—was the Varnos situation.

The primary reason—

‘The collapse of Varnos… Isn’t that supposed to signal the beginning of the Four Factions Episode…?’

In truth, the destruction of Varnos traditionally marked the commencement of the Four Factions Episode, an event that usually manifested during the mid-stage of Psychedelia.

Of course, Alon was aware.

That a large portion of his prior knowledge concerning Psychedelia’s story had already been rendered obsolete.

But even taking that into account—

The emergence of Agui, the Devourer, was occurring far too prematurely.

“…Evan.”

“Yes, Marquis?”

“Soon, make a visit to the information brokerage and acquire more precise data regarding the Varnos Duchy.”

“Understood.”

Alon assigned Evan the task of gathering further intelligence.

A few days later—

“Take great care~!”

“…Until we meet again.”

Leaving behind a radiant Penia, whose face was virtually glowing with contentment,

Alon set forth toward Lonovellia to engage with the Thunder Serpent Tribe.

At that exact same moment—

Within the royal residence of Ashtalon—

“I offer my respects to Your Majesty.”

“Where is Zukurak?”

“He stated he had a required stop to make and proceeded elsewhere. He instructed me to inform Your Majesty that he needed to briefly visit a certain location.”

King Stalian V slightly tightened his expression at Duke Merkiliane’s report.

But—

“It cannot be helped.”

He quickly let out a deep breath and then addressed Duke Merkiliane,

“So, did you fully investigate the matter I requested?”

“Yes, I carried out the investigation.”

“And what were your findings?”

“…To speak plainly, the true identity of Marquis Palatio—”

Duke Merkiliane paused momentarily, seemingly struggling with the pronouncement.

Then, with an even tone, he reported,

“He appears to be a divine entity from an alternate race.”

Upon hearing this revelation—

“What…?”

King Stalian V’s voice wavered with faint disbelief.

Would you like me to find out more about the Four Factions Episode or the Varnos Duchy?