Became the Patron of Villains Novel MTL - Chapter 199

Chapter 199

Stalian directed a blank gaze at Duke Merkiliane.

“The divinity of a different race…?”

“Correct.”

“What are you implying?”

Stalian V inquired, his confusion palpable.

Duke Merkiliane methodically recounted the developments up to that point.

He began with Zukurak’s actions at the Marquisate of Palatio.

Next, the account of the elves encountered on the journey back to Ashtalon.

And finally, the exchange that took place between Zukurak and the elves.

After a protracted silence spent listening, Stalian V finally spoke.

“So, Duke, you are suggesting that Marquis Palatio is, in reality, the divinity of a different race?”

“…Based on my observations thus far, that conclusion appears inescapable.”

“And Zukurak… he knelt before him?”

“He did.”

“…That defies belief.”

When they initially secured Zukurak via a clandestine agreement, they had seized an opportunity to measure his strength.

His power was beyond the pale of common understanding.

It was so vastly overwhelming—so almost ridiculous—that it prompted suspicions of him being a divine being himself.

‘And yet, that man bowed down?’

This could only signify—

‘Marquis Palatio is an even mightier entity, but why would such a figure…?’

No answer emerged.

No matter how deeply he contemplated the situation.

He could not begin to fathom why Marquis Palatio was masquerading as a mere nobleman and concealing his true status.

But the pause was fleeting.

“Hah.”

Stalian V decided to dismiss the thought.

Why the Marquis was hiding his true identity.

Whether the individual presenting as Marquis Palatio was genuinely the Marquis.

Instead—

“Duke Merkiliane.”

“Yes.”

“I believe you possess a degree of familiarity with Marquis Palatio.”

“Indeed, to some extent.”

“…Could you ascertain what appeals to him?”

“What appeals to him, my liege?”

“Yes. More precisely, what he currently finds necessary.”

His course of action was determined.

To entice him into the Kingdom of Ashtalon.

---

A week had elapsed since Marquis Palatio’s departure.

[…You demonstrate considerable aptitude.]

“Oh, please, it’s nothing worth mentioning!”

Even after the magic convention concluded, Penia and Heinkel persisted in their rigorous practice at the Mage Tower.

Despite being subjected to relentless drills throughout the day.

Penia’s eyes gleamed with fervor, her expression exuding ‘This is incredibly engaging! The excitement never fades!’ rather than fatigue.

Heinkel gave a disparaging click of her tongue, yet—

[Very well, now proceed with the 72-ring structure. Interconnect the layers within the geometric shapes. The crucial element is the linear path. The formation must be deployed with a direct line passing through all 72 rings.]

“Understood! I shall attempt it without delay!”

The instant the next assignment was given, Penia responded with vigor and immediately began her practice.

Unconsciously, Heinkel felt a surge of gratification.

She hadn’t particularly registered it before, but lately, Penia Crysinne had been a vivid echo of her own younger self.

Back when, regardless of the spell she was learning, her first thought was always, ‘I’m curious!’ instead of, ‘This is difficult.’

Naturally, her esteem for Penia had increased substantially.

Well, setting aside the initial falsehood she had uttered.

She embodied the ideal mage that Heinkel envisioned.

Moreover, Penia possessed a spectacular intellect.

A genius so exceptional that even Heinkel involuntarily found herself nodding in approval.

Instructing her was becoming increasingly pleasurable.

Tell her one concept, and she grasped ten.

Teach her ten ideas, and she mastered a hundred.

‘Her temperament is somewhat unusual, but then again, any true mage must possess at least one distinct peculiarity.’

Mmm, that went without saying.

Just as she was internally agreeing with her own assessment—

Observing Penia start to construct the mystical configuration, Heinkel abruptly recalled an incident from a few days prior.

More specifically.

The moment she observed the decorative pin fastened to Alon’s vest.

Her expression involuntarily tightened.

Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.

Even in her incorporeal state.

The mere recollection of that instant sent a chill through her entire being.

Her heart hammered violently.

A sensation she had not experienced in so long—

No, one she had been certain she would never feel again.

‘That specific type of magic… No, that specific locale.’

Heinkel went through the verification process again, for what must have been the hundredth time.

Though, deep down, she already knew the truth.

The Abyss—

That girl had employed that magic.

In fact.

The girl had even seemed mildly impressed upon realizing Heinkel had discerned the origin.

But even now.

The reason she continuously revisited that moment was—

She simply.

‘I cannot comprehend it.’

Because—

It was not a power the girl should have been capable of wielding.

It was an ability that should be impossible.

‘That was unequivocally… from that time.’

No, to be precise.

Even if it might be reproduced eventually, ‘at this present moment.’

It was a power that should not exist.

That is why Heinkel constantly pondered—

What exactly is she attempting? Why has she retained her abilities, and how is she still present? Why—

For an extended duration, she contemplated.

‘Why is that entity accompanying Marquis Palatio?’

As unanswered questions whirled in her mind.

---

At that very moment.

Alon had reached the Lonovellia Jungle.

“Marquis.”

“Proceed.”

“Regarding Varnos, which you mentioned previously. Strangely, there is no available intelligence concerning it.”

“No intelligence?”

“Precisely. Even the information brokers claim they have no knowledge of that location. It appears all intelligence networks in the surrounding territory have been completely severed. However, it is certain that an event has transpired there.”

“I understand.”

“Should we delve into it further?”

“No, that is sufficient.”

Even with only the details Evan had compiled, Alon could already infer the truth.

The occurrences in Varnos were connected to the emergence of the Four Great Powers he was aware of.

‘It was just like this when Agwid first materialized in the game.’

The Four Great Powers, which were not meant to appear until the middle phase of the game, had surfaced prematurely.

Upon this realization, Alon rapidly immersed himself in contemplation.

‘If this has happened, what follows? Will the other Great Powers also reveal themselves?’

As far as Alon knew, once the Four Great Powers made their debut, the Allied Kingdom entered an epoch of widespread turmoil.

Each of the Four Great Powers possessed might that vastly outstripped the entire kingdom’s forces combined.

If they began to rampage in earnest, the kingdom would crumble instantly.

‘In the game, formidable individuals eventually aligned with the Allied Kingdom around the mid-game, so unless the kingdom was obliterated by a Sin, things could somehow be salvaged.’

Regrettably, this was still the nascent stage of Psychedelia.

The potent figures capable of counterbalancing the might of the Four Great Powers had yet to appear.

In other words, if the Four Great Powers commenced their destructive spree now—

Excluding Ashtalon, where Zukurak was present, the fate of all other regions was impossible to predict.

‘The one saving grace is that the other Great Powers have not yet shown themselves.’

But his thoughts were soon interrupted.

“Marquis, there is another matter I must report.”

At Evan’s words, Alon refocused his attention.

“What is it this time?”

“This surfaced while I was collecting information on Varnos. Do you recall the rumor that circulated in Lonovellia the last time?”

“A rumor…? Ah, you mean the one about dark magic proliferating?”

“Yes, that one.”

“Did you discover additional details?”

“I did, but… it is not favorable news.”

“What is it?”

Evan hesitated momentarily before speaking with a troubled demeanor.

“A mass killing took place.”

“…A mass killing?”

“Yes. But the peculiar aspect is that it was not perpetrated by a singular entity.”

“What are you implying?”

In response to Alon’s query, Evan elaborated on the whispers.

“In essence, people murdered one another?”

“Yes. From what I was told, it was profoundly disturbing. Their minds were reportedly lucid, yet they seized weapons, fought, and killed each other. As a result, the majority of the mercenaries and explorers in the jungle perished.”

Alon inwardly furrowed his brow.

As he listened, a specific thought instinctively surfaced in his mind.

“…So their intellects were sound, but their bodies moved as if externally controlled?”

“Yes. One of the few mercenaries who survived described it as the sensation of… ‘being transformed into a puppet.’”

“A puppet?”

“…Do you harbor any suspicions regarding this, Marquis?”

Alon offered no verbal response, but Evan was correct—he did have a suspicion.

No, he was compelled to have one.

Because what Evan had just detailed was an occurrence Alon had encountered numerous times while playing Psychedelia.

The Sin of Sloth.

It was precisely the kind of gossip that spread when the Sin of Sloth first began to manifest.

In other words—

For Alon, this was the most dreadful type of rumor imaginable.

Fortunately, Alon succeeded in maintaining his composure.

‘…There is no possibility that a Sin has manifested already. If one had, the world would not be this stable. It would have been an absolute cataclysm.’

He was acutely aware of the speed with which the world descended into chaos once a Sin was born.

But the current situation?

A terrible massacre had certainly occurred.

Yet, there were no reports of the Sin having fully awakened.

Nor had analogous events proliferated elsewhere.

This pointed to one conclusion.

It was not the work of a fully awakened Sin traversing the globe to annihilate humanity.

In that case, the only remaining possibility was—

‘An Apostle…!’

An Apostle of Sin.

And specifically, it appeared the Apostle of Sloth was currently located in Lonovellia.

“…Evan.”

“Yes.”

“We are proceeding to the Duchy immediately.”

“Understood.”

There was no time for delay.

---

Exactly twenty-four hours later—

Alon arrived at the capital of the Luxibl Duchy.

And the first sight to greet him was—

“…It is enormous.”

“Indeed.”

“It is truly gigantic.”

“I concur.”

“…Is that not fundamentally a monument bestowed by Deus himself?”

Located precisely in the center of the Luxibl Duchy stood a monumental effigy.

‘Kalannon, the receiver of lightning.’

…A sculpture that, at its core, depicted Alon’s own backside.

Although not as magnificent as the one at the Marquisate of Palatio, it was still large enough to be unbearably mortifying.

Alon stared at it for a moment before feigning indifference and heading toward the palace.

“We have been anticipating your arrival, Marquis.”

“Syrkal.”

The moment he stepped inside the palace, Syrkal greeted him.

She executed a graceful bow before stating, “I will escort you inside.”

She led Alon further into the interior.

Then—

“…Marquis.”

“What is it?”

“…I am somewhat unsettled.”

Evan clutched the cuff of Alon’s garment.

Alon did not remove his hand.

Because, to a certain degree, he felt the same apprehension.

‘No, this is bordering on excessive…’

Everywhere Alon walked, the members of the Thunder Serpent Tribe employed within the palace were prostrating themselves.

They pressed themselves so flat against the floor that it felt unwarranted.

Naturally, as a nobleman, he had never been treated with disrespect.

But such an extreme display of veneration was unprecedented.

The overwhelming reverence momentarily left him perplexed.

‘…Wait, I thought they were working in conjunction with Luxibl’s military forces? Why do I see only tribe members and not a single Luxibl soldier?’

A sudden query surfaced in his mind.

But before he could fully process it—

Another unusual sight captured his attention.

“…What is this?”

“Ah, this is our tribe’s Sacred Stone Tablet. We brought it with us when we formed the alliance with Luxibl.”

A large, aged stone tablet stood within the palace, looking slightly rustic for its environment but emanating an unmistakable mystical aura.

As Alon scrutinized it, his gaze fell upon the inscribed words.

“The day I first came into existence?”

He read the words aloud—

And in that precise moment—

Whoosh—!

The reality around him shifted.

Before he could even register the sensation of entering a separate domain,

In the merest fraction of a second—

His surroundings were entirely transformed.

One moment, Alon had been within the kingdom.

Now, he stood in a completely distinct realm.

If he were to try and describe it—

A space enveloped in a fantastical night sky, where dark blue constellations shimmered like flowing celestial rivers.

And right in the center—

A girl with azure hair.

With blue eyes the exact same hue as her hair, she fixed her gaze upon Alon.

She appeared utterly displeased.

“?”

Alon experienced a strange sense of familiarity.

Even though he had never encountered this girl before, he felt as if he had.

As he struggled to recall the reason for this familiarity—

Ah.

He understood.

Where he had seen her before.

The girl was—

‘The Thunder Serpent auxiliary character…?’

She was an auxiliary character who only materialized when players attempted to conclude the Thunder Serpent quest by confronting Basiliora,

Then disappeared once the quest was finalized.

The moment he recognized her—

“Restore it.”

“…?”

“Return my divine essence—!!”

The girl’s voice, thick with resentment, echoed in Alon’s ears.