Became the Patron of Villains Novel MTL - Chapter 233

Chapter 233

 

The young woman watched the individual before her without moving.

A figure enveloped in brilliant blue electricity.

In front of him, the devotees of Baarma had already started to congregate.

Initially, there were just a few dozen.

Then, hundreds poured in from the distance.

---

After the terrifying, human-like shriek of a horn echoed, an untold number of followers swarmed toward this “priest.”

It was just like when they had assaulted her own village—

“R-Run— We have to get away from here—”

Overcome by a primal terror, she managed to force out the words that had been trapped inside her.

The eyes of the captives, who had been attempting to flee moments earlier, were now clouded with despair.

The sheer quantity of people assembled here signified one absolute truth: no one present would survive the day.

That was the reason why—

She released a painful exhale as she watched the followers reach the man’s position before she could even process it.

Sheer size was a crucial, overwhelming factor in any conflict.

No matter an individual’s might, they could never conquer the masses.

It was what happened to her village.

It was what happened to her parents.

…It was what happened to her entire lineage.

No matter how extraordinary one’s strength, a single hand could not repel ten.

Faced with the assault of superior numbers, even the mightiest person was reduced to nothing more than one single being.

With an expression etched with terror, the girl glanced past the man.

Already, countless followers, enough to completely choke the vast corridor, were surging forward, all driven to slaughter him.

The deafening rumble of their footfalls, like an unstoppable sonic wave, plunged her into panic.

Their savage cries relentlessly pulled up the awful, buried recollections of her trauma.

And then—

The very second the soldiers reached the man and thrust their spears—

She witnessed it.

The man, encircled by lightning, suddenly blazed with blinding intensity.

And then.

Crackle—!

The electrical energy clutched in the man’s grasp—

It branched out with insatiable hunger in every direction, as if seeking to devour all existence.

The followers who had rushed him, intent on his death— were instantly vaporized.

Following that, the man unleashed the lightning.

A simple, swift motion.

Yet—

An absolutely final one.

Then, after an explosion of pristine white light so intense it nearly stole her vision—

“…Ah?”

A desolate scene was revealed before her.

Not a single follower remained in her sight.

She no longer saw the blood-soaked weapons they had brandished.

She no longer saw the grotesque ornaments they had fabricated in devotion to their doctrine.

Only the man stood there.

With an utterly tranquil and detached expression—

The man who had utterly erased her immediate dread and horror.

The white-haired girl gazed blankly at the man’s back.

As if striving to etch the sight permanently into her memory.

Motionless.

---

Rumble—!

In the scorched world, a golden crown, still gleaming brightly, lay dented and fragmented.

Just after the last remnants of the attacking men were annihilated—

“…It’s concluded now. I detect no further hostiles.”

“…I understand.”

Penia, who had been employing magic to scan the surroundings, relayed her findings.

Alon exhaled deeply as he surveyed the area.

Everywhere he looked—

Those who had only moments ago been butchered like mere toys by the armed zealots—

Now stared at him with a strange mix of hopeful expectation and apprehension.

‘…Did I make the right decision?’

Seeing their reactions, Alon subconsciously questioned his actions.

From his own perspective—

It was difficult to assert that the choice he had made today was the optimal one.

He didn’t even know precisely who he had just slain.

Nor did he comprehend why they had been so savagely pursuing these non-human races as if they were simple playthings.

In essence, Alon had rescued these individuals without any deep background knowledge.

But this did not mean he had acted without thought.

The original reason Alon had descended to save them was—

Because, using Rine’s distinctive “eyes,” he had previously confirmed that no overwhelming danger was present here.

Of course, even with that confirmation, deciding to oppose an unfamiliar entity in an unknown territory, without grasping their full capabilities, was never a prudent strategy.

But even so—

Alon felt no remorse for his deeds.

Even if it wasn’t the most advantageous choice—

He was convinced it was the morally correct one.

“Um—”

Just as he was caught up in his deliberations—

A faint sound came from behind him.

When Alon turned, a wolf beastman with a lengthy scar across his right eye stood there.

The moment Alon faced him, the beastman abruptly dropped to his knees.

“Thank you for granting us salvation!”

His head hit the ground with a loud, resounding thud.

While Alon was momentarily taken aback—

“I— I sincerely express my gratitude.”

“We thank you!”

“Thank you.”

“Thank—”

One after another, the other beastmen followed the wolf’s lead, kneeling and voicing their thanks.

Men and women, young and elderly—

All lowered their heads to the ground.

Observing this, Alon spoke.

“Rine, can you remove their restraints?”

“I have just finished analyzing the mechanism. They can be deactivated immediately, Guardian.”

“Please proceed, then.”

“Understood.”

Rine made subtle movements with her hands, muttering softly to herself.

Then—

Clang—

The bindings holding the beastmen’s hands began to fall away.

“The— the restraints—!”

“They are gone!”

The chains that had confined them vanished in an instant.

As they stared at their newly freed hands, they were overcome with profound emotion.

Alon concluded that the immediate necessity was to vacate this dreadful location.

“We must depart from here without delay.”

---

“If you are seeking a refuge nearby where the Baarma zealots will not be able to locate you, allow me to guide you.”

The first to step forward was the wolf beastman who had previously knelt in gratitude to Alon.

As soon as his restraints were removed, he moved eastward with familiar expertise.

They walked for nearly a full day before arriving at a cave structure.

“If we stay here, the fanatics will not find us. The divine power in this region prevents their entry.”

The wolf beastman guided the other non-humans and Alon into the cave’s shelter.

Only then did Alon finally hear his formal introduction.

“I apologize for the delay in presenting myself to my rescuer. I am Rangban, a warrior of the Azure Fang Clan.”

“I am Alon Palatio.”

Rangban bowed deeply once more.

Then, after a moment of hesitation, he cautiously posed a question.

“May I inquire about something?”

“What is it?”

“Did you travel from the Human Federation to assist us?”

“The Human Federation?”

“…I see. You are not.”

At Alon’s confused reaction, Rangban let out a deep sigh, as if the answer was exactly what he had expected.

A faint hint of grievance was visible on his features, prompting Alon to ask,

“If possible, could you explain the circumstances to me?”

“Explain, you say?”

“Yes. Regrettably, we are not fully informed of the current situation.”

“…What do you mean by that?”

Rangban tilted his head, thoroughly confused.

Alon pondered whether to reveal the full truth but quickly decided on honesty.

“We ended up here because of an unforeseen mishap originating from the Allied Kingdom.”

“…The Allied Kingdom?”

Rangban spoke as if he were encountering a totally foreign term.

Alon replied,

“Yes. Have you not heard of it?”

“I apologize, but this is the first time I have heard mention of such a place.”

“It borders the Empire.”

“…I am sorry, but I am uncertain of the location you refer to.”

At Rangban’s response, a feeling of anxiety began to creep over Alon.

‘…Is this region not part of the Empire?’

Alon had operated under that assumption.

He was aware that ‘Calypsophobia’ was set within the Empire, a place known for its gruesome and brutal chronicles.

Yet Rangban seemed to know nothing of the Empire.

Something was fundamentally wrong.

‘I recall hearing there are remote tribes and even distant islands far from the Empire in Calypsophobia… But could someone genuinely be entirely ignorant of the Empire?’

As he was deep in thought,

“…Regardless, since you appear to be unaware of the situation, I shall proceed with an explanation.”

Rangban began his detailed account.

It extended for quite some time.

“To summarize, humans who venerate the deity Baarma have declared war against non-humans, mercilessly slaughtering them to accumulate faith?”

“Yes, that is precisely the situation. That is why we established a joint resistance against Baarma, but we are being completely overwhelmed.”

Rangban winced, as if recalling traumatic past events.

‘A fanatic sect that indiscriminately massacres non-humans to acquire devotion… Baarma, then?’

Alon mentally repeated the name but found no memory associated with it.

‘Was there ever a sect named Baarma in Calypsophobia?’

He shook his head.

He had never personally played the game.

But he had absorbed numerous spoilers and discussions about it.

If Baarma had constituted a significant faction—

He would, at the very least, have remembered its designation.

Even a similar-sounding name should have surfaced, yet nothing came to mind.

What concerned Alon even more deeply was—

The sheer scale of the conflict between Baarma’s cult and the non-human coalition.

‘If it’s this enormous at this point in time… I should retain some recollection of it…’

As he pondered, Rangban moved.

“For the moment, would you mind waiting here? I need to properly obscure the hiding place, just as a precaution. We arrived hastily and did not establish sufficient defenses.”

“I thought you said the divine blessing would prevent entry?”

“It is always prudent to prepare. I will be as quick as possible.”

He bowed respectfully and then departed.

‘Now that I think about it… would Rine have any relevant knowledge?’

Alon’s thoughts shifted toward Rine’s vast information library.

When he looked towards her, she wore a focused expression, as if a thought had just struck her.

Just as Alon was about to address her—

“U-Um—”

A voice interrupted him.

The white-haired girl had approached without him realizing it.

Her purple eyes emitted a soft glow in the dimness, like captured moonlight.

She hesitated, nervously rubbing the front of her dirt-covered garment.

“T-Thank you for rescuing me.”

Then, she executed a deep bow.

Her trembling voice resonated through the space.

As if to suppress her anxiety, she nervously fiddled with her stained dress.

Alon, looking down at the girl’s white hair, noticed a wound that had persisted despite Penia’s healing magic.

“Are you feeling alright?”

“Ah— Y-Yes, I’m perfectly fine!”

She puffed out her chest with exaggerated effort, as if to demonstrate her resilience.

It was a mixture of pitiable and endearing.

“What is your name?”

“R-Ryanga.”

When he asked, her shoulders slightly hunched inward.

“Ryanga… Ryanga.”

Alon repeated her name several times to himself.

It was a pleasant name.

And then—

“…Ryanga?”

“Y-Yes… Is something amiss?”

A strange sensation of having experienced this before washed over his mind.

Alon— knew that name.

Yes.

He was absolutely certain he knew it.

As he searched his deeper memory—

“…Ah.”

He finally realized whose name it belonged to.

His eyes widened instinctively.

Silence pervaded the area.

Once he had composed his thoughts, Alon cautiously asked,

“Ryanga, may I ask you one more thing?”

“Uh, sure? It’s fine.”

“…What is your species?”

“M-My species?”

“Yes.”

At his inquiry, Ryanga’s expression became slightly troubled.

Then,

“…I am a Demonkin.”

She murmured softly.

At that answer, Alon let out a quiet breath and looked at her forehead.

There—

A small, yet undeniable, horn was growing.

“The Demonkin… They are known for utilizing distinct, non-replicating true names among their people, is that right?”

Just for confirmation, Alon inquired again.

“Y-Yeah… But how would a human be aware of that?”

Ryanga looked slightly startled.

Alon let out an involuntary, soft laugh.

Because he had finally understood who she was.

He knew the name.

And—

As far as he was aware, there was only one white-haired, purple-eyed Demonkin with that specific name.

“…Ha.”

One of the Four Supreme Authorities.

The sovereign of the Hundred Ghosts— Hyakki.

“Godfather, I believe… we may have traveled into the past.”

“The past?”

“Yes. Approximately 700 years ago…”

Because it was the name of the Demon Lord.

Only then did Alon fully grasp the situation.

This place— was 700 years in the past.