Became the Patron of Villains Novel MTL - Chapter 254

After exchanging a few short pleasantries with Magrina, Alon requested that she hold off on their proper reunion for just a little longer so he could first inspect the roots of the World Tree.

Magrina puffed out her cheeks in a show of mild protest, but eventually gave a nod of agreement.

Thanks to her understanding, Alon was granted permission to descend into the depths.

Since nothing remained beneath the roots anymore, there was no need for any guards.

Accompanied only by Evan, Alon gazed once more at the vibrant greenery that was beginning to form at the base of the roots.

“Marquis.”

“What’s wrong?”

“This atmosphere… it feels a bit strange.”

“…Out of the blue?”

Evan gave a nonchalant shrug.

“Well, I did hear previously that you traveled to the past or something similar.”

Alon had already debriefed Evan on the events that transpired inside the bizarre portal that had swallowed both him and the maw, leading him to Ashtalon.

“You heard the story, so what’s the issue?”

“It just feels a bit like that. Like I’m the outcast here… What exactly went down in there?”

“I was under the impression I already explained it?”

“You neglected to mention the part about the Elf Queen looking at you with eyes practically dripping with honey.”

“…Huh?”

“You had this nostalgic look on your face, even though you didn’t seem all that different… and that Elf Queen—she was absolutely overflowing with affection.”

grumbling to himself about how the vibe was completely different from their last visit, Evan let his voice trail off.

Alon retraced his memories before asking,

“…Did my previous explanation fall short?”

“You said you went back in time, put a stop to someone named Baarma, and that Rine ended up sacrificing herself due to an accident. That was the extent of it.”

“I suppose that was a bit brief.”

“Since the descent to the bottom will take some time, why not fill me in now? It’s not like we have anything else to discuss.”

After a momentary hesitation, Alon began to recount the story.

By the time they reached the absolute depths of the roots, the lengthy tale had finally come to a close.

“So, to sum it up, while you were dealing with Baarma, you helped some people, and one of them happened to be the Elf Queen?”

“Correct.”

Evan nodded as if he understood the general situation, yet he still wore a look of disappointment.

“I really should have tagged along.”

“…Why bring that up now?”

“If I had stood there looking impressive next to you, maybe they would have worshipped me as some sort of deity too.”

[Pfft]

“What’s so funny?”

[Well—]

Popping out of the ring abruptly, Basiliora stared at Evan with a blank expression.

[Never mind. I suppose one is free to dream.]

With an open sneer, Evan retorted, “This damn snake—do I need to beat some sense into you to fix that attitude?”

[Hmph, as if you are capable of laying a finger on me.]

Before long, their customary bickering started up again.

At some point, Blackie had perched itself with its feet hooked onto the pocket over Alon’s chest, gazing at the arguing pair with a look of pity.

It was a familiar scene.

Only now did Alon truly feel that he had returned to his reality.

Feeling a quiet warmth blooming within his chest, Alon continued his walk in silence until he arrived at the terminus of the roots.

“Is this the spot?”

“It is.”

Alon surveyed his surroundings.

There was nothing particularly distinctive to be seen.

Immediately after Alon had disposed of the Mother of Greed who once resided here, he had utilized his divine power to flood the underground cavern with vegetation.

Consequently, only fresh, green sprouts occupied the space where he stood.

However, Alon did not pause; he kept walking along the edge of the roots.

And then—

Rumble~!

The wall of greenery parted, unveiling a spiral staircase.

These were the same stairs that led to the location where, after peering into a mirror, he had once received a seed from the entity beneath the World Tree.

Without a second thought, he descended the steps.

Finally, upon reaching the area that could genuinely be described as the “end of the roots,” Alon was welcomed by a vibrant inner garden.

It was a lush sanctuary, and at its heart stood a massive, ancient tree—and behind that tree lay a tunnel leading further underground, one he hadn’t perceived during his last visit.

---

There was a specific thought that had been weighing heavily on Alon’s mind ever since his arrival in Greynifra.

It concerned what Magrina had mentioned during their first encounter.

‘If I had to estimate the timeframe… It was likely around 600 to 700 years ago.’

‘600 to 700 years?’

‘Yes, that is when I first heard the tale.’

That had been her answer to Alon’s inquiry when he first discovered the Mother of Greed—or more accurately, the Ash Seeder—beneath the ground.

At that time, Magrina hadn’t heard of the Sin of Greed manifesting, but she noted that the Ash Spreaders had begun to appear around that era.

‘…That was when the worst-case scenario began to form in my mind.’

This was the source of Alon’s unease.

He knew for a fact that the Mother of Greed only manifested once the Sin of Greed had awakened.

‘If her estimate is accurate, then the sealed Rine… might essentially be the Sin of Greed at this moment.’

And if the entity sealed away wasn’t Rine, but the Sin of Greed itself—

“Sigh.”

Alon cut off his train of thought and exhaled deeply.

It was a possibility he simply didn’t want to entertain.

Choosing to reserve judgment for the time being, Alon entered the underground tunnel.

“This is odd. It should be pitch black in here, yet everything is clearly visible.”

[…This place is indeed… peculiar.]

Hearing both Evan and Basiliora, who had been at each other’s throats just moments ago, now expressing their wonder in unison, Alon ventured deeper inside.

And finally, when they were completely submerged in the underground space—

“There.”

He spotted it.

A massive sealing circle.

It was identical to the one Rine had utilized in her final moments to save Alon.

The magic circle was inscribed across what appeared to be a doorway, split into two halves.

“…Hah.”

Without realizing it, Alon’s muscles tensed up.

The seal in front of him had clearly weathered the passage of time.

Stepping forward calmly, Alon began to channel his magic.

Breaking the seal would not be a difficult task.

If he simply scratched the surface of the seal with a trace of magic, it would shatter instantly.

Aware of this, he prepared to unleash his magic without hesitation—until suddenly.

“…?”

“…?”

Alon noticed it.

There was writing beneath the seal.

As if the author had anticipated Alon would find it, the text was positioned exactly at his eye level.

He ceased his casting and stepped closer.

And then—

Alon read the inscription.

[Please. If you, Godfather, are reading this message, then exactly ten months from now… please wake me up.]

It was a message left by Rine.

---

“Did your visit go smoothly?”

“Yes.”

Magrina welcomed Alon back warmly.

Ultimately, he had departed the underground of the World Tree without releasing Rine from her seal.

The cause was the message that appeared to have been written by Rine.

‘…Ten months from now.’

He couldn’t fully comprehend why Rine would leave such a specific instruction, but the instant he read it, he realized there was a chance Rine might be conscious even now, and his instinct was to wake her immediately.

But would it be right to disregard her wishes merely to ease his own anxiety?

In the end, Alon had no alternative but to suppress that impulse.

“I am truly overjoyed to see you again, brother, yet it seems you aren’t quite as happy as I am.”

While he was lost in contemplation, Magrina’s voice broke through to him.

Alon snapped back to reality.

“Sorry, I was just lost in thought for a second.”

“What was on your mind?”

“It’s just a hunch, but… were you already aware of what was happening at the roots?”

“No, honestly, I don’t know much about that area.”

Hearing her response, Alon gave a brief explanation of what he had encountered underground.

Upon hearing the details, Magrina’s eyes trembled.

“…So that implies Lady Rine is currently beneath the World Tree?”

“Yes. But she doesn’t seem to wish for release just yet.”

As Alon spoke, recalling the message he had seen earlier, Magrina also seemed to ponder the situation, wearing a puzzled expression.

“…That strikes me as strange as well.”

“Right?”

“Yes. However—if that is what Lady Rine desired, waiting ten months to break the seal won’t be overly difficult.”

Alon nodded in agreement.

‘Of course, there are still plenty of unanswered questions…’

Truthfully, Alon’s mind was in a state of chaos.

‘If the sealed Rine is safe, then how did the Mother of Greed end up down there?’

But his doubts were fleeting.

Reminding himself that it was rude to focus solely on Rine while Magrina was standing right in front of him, he cleared his throat.

“Have you been well?”

“Yes, brother. Although… isn’t it a bit late to be asking that?”

“Sorry.”

Magrina pouted slightly.

When Alon offered a quick apology, her expression brightened into a smile.

“No, you don’t need to apologize. I know you had a lot occupying your mind.”

“Thank you for understanding. By the way, I’ve been curious—can I ask you something?”

“What is it?”

“Did you know from the very beginning?”

“Know what…?”

“That I had traveled to the past and returned.”

Magrina shook her head.

“Of course not. I didn’t even know if you were still alive.”

“…Really?”

“Yes. So when I first heard your name mentioned, I wasn’t sure whether to believe it. I only accepted it after I saw you with my own eyes.”

“I see.”

She sighed deeply, as if remembering how distressing that period was.

“Do you have any idea how disappointed I was? I was so incredibly happy to see you, but you kept insisting you weren’t the Primordial Elf, that you didn’t know anything—I thought, ‘This isn’t the brother I know. What kind of act is he putting on?’”

Magrina shook her head as if the mere memory made her dizzy.

“Ah—”

Alon let out a soft sigh.

Thinking back on it now, it was only natural that Magrina had felt hurt.

“But you don’t have to worry too much. I figured it out partway through.”

“…You figured it out?”

“Yes, the moment you showed me the World Tree’s seed.”

“Ah…”

“That’s when I realized it. That the brother standing before me wasn’t the exact same one from my memories.”

It was only then that Alon truly grasped the flow of the situation.

The two continued chatting about various topics afterward.

Then, Magrina smiled playfully and said—

“By the way, brother, aren’t you going to praise me?”

“…Praise you?”

“You told me to lead the elves well, remember? So I worked extremely hard!”

She puffed out her chest with pride.

Alon, suddenly recalling the words he had spoken to her right before his disappearance, replied, “That’s right. Thank you for doing such a wonderful job.”

As he praised her, he felt a genuine sense of pride welling up from the bottom of his heart.

Flushed with happiness, Magrina stood up.

“Now that we’ve had our reunion, it’s time to proceed to the next step.”

“…The next step?”

“Now that you have returned, you need to assume your rightful position.”

“My rightful position…?”

Seeing Alon’s confused expression, she nodded as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

“Yes, we are going to officially declare you the god of the elves. Everywhere!”

She spread her arms wide as she made her grand proclamation.

“???”

Naturally, Alon’s head was once again filled with question marks.