Became the Patron of Villains Novel MTL - Chapter 253

Chapter 253

Ultimately, the situation concluded with Alon successfully intercepting Deus and Radan.

“Brother!”

“Marquis!”

The moment Alon made his presence known, Radan and Deus ceased their bombardment instantly and rushed down to the ground, breathing heavily.

Alon immediately briefed them on the circumstances.

They stood in silence, listening intently for some time.

Eventually, they exhaled long, deep sighs of relief.

“Ah, I feel as though I’ve aged a decade, Brother. I truly believed you had perished; it was the fright of my life.”

“…I am overwhelmingly relieved, Marquis.”

Radan beamed with a bright smile, while Deus expressed profound comfort.

Although they both appeared visibly more relaxed, their gaunt countenances betrayed the immense psychological toll of the recent days.

Observing them, Alon once again felt a warm emotion rising in his chest.

Simultaneously, he gestured upward and asked, “However, what is that?”

He indicated the colossal vessel hovering in the air.

His survival was one thing, but that ship was an entirely separate matter.

At his inquiry, Radan straightened his posture.

“Oh, that? It’s an artifact we acquired not long ago, Brother.”

“An artifact?”

“Yes. I reasoned it might be necessary for situations such as this, so I ensured it was fully restored. It doesn’t have a long operation time, though.”

Ten such ships maintained a perfectly symmetrical formation in the sky.

“I am grateful that you care for me so deeply, but now that you have confirmed I am alive, that should suffice. Please withdraw.”

However, at Alon’s directive, Radan and Deus exchanged complicated glances.

“Well, if you command it, Brother, we have no alternative.”

“Understood.”

They nodded, appearing as though they had anticipated this result.

Watching their reaction, Alon recollected the message from the First Prince.

「The demise of Marquis Palatio is indeed a tragedy, and we send our sympathies. Yet, we cannot stand still. The Kingdom of Asteria must advance and transcend its grief.」

‘…Naturally, it wasn’t a correspondence brimming with pure benevolence.’

Alon considered what exactly had incited such fury in them.

Instead of speculating, he chose to inquire directly.

“Deus, Radan.”

“Yes, Marquis.”

“Please speak, Brother.”

“…I’m asking just to be certain—did the First Prince utter anything else that I am unaware of?”

He reasoned that Deus, Radan, and Seolrang would not have reacted with such extreme measures without cause.

However—

“No, he said nothing else.”

“…Hm?”

“Correct.”

“In that case—”

Alon cast his gaze upward.

The massive vessel remained aloft with its cannons deployed, poised to rain destruction upon the royal palace at a second’s notice.

“…Forget it.”

Gazing at that spectacle, Alon swallowed the question resting on the tip of his tongue.

They had gone too far.

All three of them had acted excessively.

Yet, in the end—they had done it for his sake.

‘…Still, it was undeniably too much.’

Consequently—

“…Next time, try to maintain a bit more composure.”

With those final words of advice, Alon, having rapidly diffused the crisis, dismissed Radan and Deus.

He promised to visit them in the near future.

“W-We survived—!”

“I genuinely thought my life was over…”

It was only after the duo had vanished completely that the soldiers finally exhaled in relief, whispering words of thanks.

“Thank you so immensely.”

“…Thank you.”

The First Prince bowed deeply, and King Stalian V regarded him with eyes full of emotion.

Alon felt a strange sense of conflict return.

Was he really the one who deserved gratitude?

Shouldn’t he be the one offering an apology?

—That lingering guilt weighed on his mind.

However, there was no utility in offering an apology they did not desire.

Thus, Alon merely waved his hand dismissively and reciprocated the gesture of respect.

With the incident concluded—Alon spent a single night in Ashtalon and departed immediately the following day.

He had rushed here to prevent a disaster.

But now, he had a critical task to attend to.

On the path to Greynifra—in contrast to the previous day, the city was tranquil now that the troops had scattered.

As Alon surveyed the surroundings, Evan initiated a conversation.

“Marquis, did you hear the news?”

“Hear what?”

“You recall how you found it strange that the Black Knight, or whoever he was, vanished?”

“Yes. Did you discover the reason?”

“I did.”

Evan nodded and elaborated.

“I only caught wind of it by chance, but apparently, it was all because of you, Marquis.”

“Because of me?”

“Yes. Rumor has it that the First Prince made some absurd comment, and because of that, the only means to halt those monsters was lost… We’re finished—if that scoundrel hadn’t spoken, we wouldn’t have faced such a pointless death—”

‘Something like that?’ Evan imitated the tone of someone he heard yesterday.

Alon, listening quietly, retrieved a memory.

‘Come to think of it, the Lizardmen also referred to me as a cherished friend.’

As he remembered Kurak’s statement, he tilted his head in puzzlement.

‘A god… A god, is it.’

While Alon had indeed forged connections during his exploits 700 years ago—he had no recollection of ever becoming intimate with a god.

‘The closest individual would be Dowon.’

However, when he last saw Dowon, she had mentioned her time was running out.

Thus, the probability of her survival was negligible.

‘…Hmm.’

Subsequently, numerous questions began to occupy his thoughts.

The Hyakki he encountered in the past—Ryanga—possessed white hair.

Yet here, her hair was black.

He also grew curious about the Lizardmen god who claimed him as a friend.

Furthermore, he wondered how the others were faring in this era.

‘I wonder what Arquilainisis is up to.’

Briefly, he reminisced about the Black Dragon who rarely left his side in those days, always wrapping her tail around his waist and whining.

‘Once I liberate Rine from the seal, perhaps I should pay her a visit.’

Thoughts of Rine quickly overwhelmed all other considerations.

After resolving the most pressing matter—he decided he would go meet the Lizardman who called him a friend.

Alon directed his gaze back out the window.

The scenery outside was genuinely serene.

“Phew~”

Immediately after bidding farewell to Alon, Deus exhaled a sigh of relief while aboard Radan’s vessel.

That was a relief.

Truly, a massive relief.

Naturally, he had been certain of it.

That Alon was alive.

There was no concrete proof.

He simply held faith.

An unshakable conviction that his savior could not have perished so trivially.

And Deus was not alone in this sentiment.

Even his younger sister, Sili, refused to accept the notion of Alon’s demise.

After all, she was a saintess.

She continued to wield the power of Kalannon, and that fact alone served as evidence that Alon was still alive—a truth she believed firmly.

However, in contrast to the siblings’ certainty, the world gradually began to treat Alon’s death as an established reality.

A funeral was conducted, and various nations sent their condolences.

Yet, public opinion did nothing to waver the siblings’ faith.

They proclaimed with absolute confidence.

That Alon—their benefactor—was undeniably alive.

‘…Admittedly, Deus’s temperament had become overly volatile, and his glare had grown more menacing.’

One individual made the error of remarking, “It is truly a pity that Marquis Palatio has passed,” in his presence—and had both arms pulverized by the Fifth Sword. They were still in recovery to this day.

Nonetheless, having verified it with his own eyes, he could finally relax.

Deus placed a hand over his heart, took a deep breath, and promptly retrieved a crystal orb from his coat.

He wished to convey this joyous tidings to Sili.

She was no longer in Caliban, but resided in a temple newly constructed after Alon’s disappearance.

Wuuuung~!

The crystal illuminated as mana was channeled into it.

Shortly thereafter, Sili’s visage projected onto the surface.

[…What is the matter?]

Sili appeared gaunt.

Her cheeks were sunken, and her gaze was piercingly intense.

It was somewhat difficult to accept that she still maintained faith in Alon’s survival given her appearance.

Regardless, Deus shouted immediately,

“Sili, the Marquis is alive…!”

[…Huh? Is that true!?]

Her eyes widened in shock.

As Deus smiled and nodded in confirmation, the corners of her mouth turned upward.

[Hmph, well—naturally! Brother, did I not tell you as much?]

She hurriedly cleared her throat, attempting to act as if she hadn’t just reacted with such emotion.

…However, she couldn’t entirely mask her smile, forcing her to raise a hand to conceal her mouth.

“In any case, what a relief.”

[It truly is… But, what regarding Ashtalon? Was the situation resolved?]

As if suddenly recalling the context, Deus began to narrate the events of his meeting with Alon.

[He stopped you, you say?]

“Yeah.”

[…Then it cannot be helped.]

A slightly grumbling tone escaped her lips.

However, Sili soon sighed, appearing resigned to the outcome.

Then, quite abruptly, she turned her head slightly.

[I suppose it is safe to say we can terminate standby mode.]

She muttered softly.

“…Standby mode?”

Deus inquired with a confused expression.

[Ah, I was not addressing you, Brother. I was referring to that.]

Sili rotated the orb, displaying a colossal structure resembling a lightning rod situated in the center of the temple.

“…What in the world is that?”

It appeared to be a lightning rod, yet he had no concept of its function.

[It is an apparatus capable of accumulating and discharging Kalannon’s divine power in a single burst.]

Sili responded cheerfully.

“…When did you construct such a thing?”

[It was built with the assistance of several mages who chose to place their faith in Kalannon. Honestly, I assumed you would handle everything, but just in case something went wrong…]

“The amount of divine power you have accumulated there isn’t exactly insignificant.”

Sili paused briefly, then smiled with her eyes.

[Naturally. I calculated it would require at least this magnitude to reduce the kingdom to ashes instantly.]

…??

[Ah, of course, we cannot utilize it immediately. It would require at least ten years to charge. Still, someone had to make the preparations, correct?]

“If Brother failed, I intended to deliver divine punishment personally,”

—she whispered, barely audible.

“I understand.”

Deus felt a shiver run down his spine for some inexplicable reason.

He decided it would be best to deactivate the orb swiftly.

Approximately a month elapsed after Alon successfully resolved matters in Ashtalon.

“Marquis, it appears that once we return, our schedule will be frantically busy.”

Alon had not even visited his own estate.

He had postponed all formal reports and greetings, heading directly for Greynifra.

The landscape beyond the window gradually began to transform.

Trees that were far more vibrant and full of life than those elsewhere came into view.

“I suppose that is true.”

“After Greynifra, we must go to the Lizardmen. Then to Teria to report to His Majesty. And subsequently back to Colony… This itinerary is no joke.”

“…It cannot be helped.”

Eventually, the carriage came to a halt.

Alon disembarked and began trekking toward Greynifra accompanied by Evan.

While the black kitten nestled in his chest stared inquisitively at the green foliage it recognized from its previous visit—the group emerged from the forest.

“We have been awaiting your arrival.”

The instant they exited the woods—Alon was welcomed by a very familiar scene.

Identical to his first visit to Greynifra, a long column of elves stood in disciplined formation.

“Her Majesty is waiting for you.”

Alon, receiving their familiar gazes, followed the bowing elf into the territory.

Upon arriving at the kingdom of the elves—

“…It has been a long time.”

Magrina was already present to welcome him.

A bittersweet smile graced her lips.

Just like the first time he had laid eyes on her.

Her opening words were identical as well.

Back then, Alon had assumed she was merely laboring under a preposterous misunderstanding.

But now—Alon comprehended the significance behind her greeting with perfect clarity.

“Yes. It has been a long time.”

He offered a faint smile in return.

Then—

“…Then, may I address you as Brother once more?”

At Magrina’s tearful and tentative question—Alon silently nodded his head.